


His Man Friday

by Casey679



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Based on "His Girl Friday", M/M, Multi, Nothing but fast-paced quips and underhanded dealings here, SPN Cinema Challenge (Supernatural & Supernatural RPF)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:35:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 27,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21605398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Casey679/pseuds/Casey679
Summary: ...Chaos had nothing on star reporter Jared Padalecki, formerly Padalecki-Ackles, walking in the door on the arm of someone Jensen Ackles didn't recognize, a big burly blond man who screamed money and looked at Jared like the stars shone out of his ass. Jensen would know, too; he'd looked at Jared the same way once.
Relationships: Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki, Stephen Amell/Jared Padalecki
Comments: 32
Kudos: 108
Collections: SPN Cinema





	His Man Friday

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is part of the 10th Round of the SPN Cinema challenge, and is inspired by the classic comedy [_His Girl Friday_](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032599/) by Howard Hanks.

The door to the Morning Post swung open and chaos walked in.

To be fair, chaos was already present – it was a newspaper, after all, three days before a high society wedding, two days before a major election and one day before a star-studded, state-sanctioned execution. It was an editor's dream and a print shop's nightmare.

But chaos had nothing on star reporter Jared Padalecki, formerly Padalecki-Ackles, walking in the door on the arm of someone Jensen Ackles didn't recognize, a big burly blond man who screamed money and looked at Jared like the stars shone out of his ass. Jensen would know, too; he'd looked at Jared the same way once.

Jared on the arm of someone else meant Jensen's universe was out of order. Ergo, _chaos_.

Jensen stormed back into his office before Jared could see him and picked up his phone. "Hey, Kane, do me a favor and hold tomorrow's front page. I have a feeling the lede's not the last thing we'll be changing by the end of the day."

He hung up and dialed another number, peering out of the office window toward the front lobby. "Collins, how's that interview going?"

"Uh-huh… uh-huh… Yeah…" he responded absently, ducking out of sight as Jared looked his way. "What was that? Oh, yes, excellent job, Collins, excellent job. Say, work like that deserves a reward. How'd ya feel about two weeks' paid vacation? Starting when? Well, what time are you filing that interview? 2pm? Perfect, that's perfect."

Jensen picked up a stack of envelopes and leaned back in his chair, holding each up to the light until he found the one with Jared's name on it. "Tell ya what, why don't you take the rest of the day off after you file it."

He pulled open a drawer, dropped the envelope into it, and locked it, then slid the key under his desk mat. "What? NO! No, don't come back to the office – just call in the story to Kane and then go. Take the missus to the Poconos or something, get one of those rooms with a jacuzzi shaped like a martini glass. An early second honeymoon, or something. Yes, exactly."

He hung up the phone and sat back with a satisfied smirk, startling a second later when a tall, long-haired shadow fell over him.

"You-know-who's here, boss – oh, I'm too late, you already saw him. I can see it in your shifty, shifty look." His assistant, Danneel, stood in the doorway, shaking her head. "It's been four months since he dumped you. Either let it go or do something about it."

"I let it and him go months ago, Danni." He peeked through the window again, scowling as Jared kissed the man he'd walked in with. "Get on the horn and get Richard in here, will ya? Rob, too. I have a feeling they're going to come in handy today."

"Sending in the clowns already?" She raised her eyebrows quizzically. "I'll do it, but only because Rich is always nice to me, unlike _some_ people I could mention." She glanced over at the front door and then back at Jensen, shaking her head disapprovingly. "I hope you know what you're doing."

Jensen stared back toward the lobby at the large man with the dirty hair who was almost as tall as he was and almost as good looking as he was, and scowled. He straightened his tie and sat down at his desk, then immediately mussed it again to look more casual.

"I always know what I'm doing."

* * *

Jared beamed back at the man who was holding his hand and looking at him like the sun rose and set on his words.

"I love that you want to come back with me, Stephen, I really do, but trust me, the less you have to deal with my ex-husband, the better off you'll be." He leaned over and took the paper bag out of Stephen's hands, kissing his cheek as he did. "Jen's a jerk, and a liar, and he eats good men like you for breakfast. So stay here, I won't be just a minute. In the meantime, you can talk to, er," he waved some of the curious Post staffers over. "Stephen, this is DJ from sports, but you can call him Garth. And the beautiful redhead here is our very own Ruth, the genius behind the _Dear Rowena_ column."

Jared stepped toward the newsroom, looking back over his shoulder. "Everyone, this is Stephen, my fiancé." He shushed the uproar at the word fiancé. "I'm leaving him in your capable hands, so go easy on him, okay?"

"Ooooh," Ruth batted her eyes at Jared. "If you're leaving in him in my hands, does that mean we get to touch?" She ran her bright red nails down Stephen's arm.

"Get your own, Ruth, this one's taken," Jared laughed good-naturedly.

"If I must." She pouted at him, pursed lips melting into a warm smile after a few moments.

Jared winked at Stephen. "They're a bunch of animals, babe, but they don't bite. Much. You'll be fine, just don't bet on sports with Garth, he's always right, and don't take advice from Ruth, she's always wrong. And if they say anything about me, don't believe a word of it. Unless it's a compliment, then it's all true."

"I can't imagine anyone saying anything bad about you, ever," Stephen said, making doe-eyes at him.

"You should read our letters to the editor, then," a frazzled-looking blonde woman interjected, smirking at Jared. "Or just go talk to the mayor's office. Bet you'd get some choice words about our boy there, too."

"It's not my fault that Pileggi's a coward and a cheat," Jared said. "I call 'em like I see 'em." He hugged the woman, spinning her to face his fiancé. "Sam, this is Stephen, the man of my dreams. Stephen, this is Sam, the editor of every man's nightmares." He took two more steps towards the newsroom before pausing and looking back. "Oh, and don't let Sam rope you into any kind of card game. You'll lose." Then he blew Stephen a kiss. "I'll be back."

* * *

The uproar continued the minute Jared walked into the newsroom proper. He strolled his way through the greetings and well-wishes like a movie star on a runway.

"Hey, look who's here! It's you!"

"Sure, and who else would I be, Tom?"

"Back from Budapest already?"

"Budapest was two weeks ago, Allie, you're never going to get front page with reporting like that!"

"Just couldn't stay away, could ya, kid?"

"Ackles still has my paycheck Jake, of course I couldn't."

"I thought you were off finding yourself, Jared. You get lost?"

"I sure did get lost, Mike, but you'll never guess what I found. Stick around, I'll be happy to tell you all about it as soon as I talk to you-know-who."

He hello-ed his way through his co-workers like Moses parting the ocean, making his way through to Danni's telltale red hair, then plopped himself down on the edge of her desk and leaned in conspiratorially.

"How's my favorite girl?"

"Beats me, why don't you ask her when you see her?"

"Danni! You know there's no one for me but you!"

She put her hand up to stop him. "No use buttering me up, Jared. Jensen's got your paycheck under lock and key. If you want it, you'll have to face the Beast himself. I don't know where he put it, so you can't sweet talk it out of me!"

He dropped the paper bag in front of her, opening it and fanning the air in front of it. "Not even for half a dozen cider donuts, piping hot outta the ovens on Cliff's Bakery on 22nd?"

Danni snatched the bag to her chest. "Sold! It's locked in the second drawer on the left, the key's-"

"-under his desk mat, just like always," Jared finished, grinning down at her. "Say, speaking of the Beast, is he in right now?"

"Sure is," she gestured toward the door with a cider donut, "and let me tell you, he's been in a mood ever since you didn't show this morning for assignments. The election's around the corner and right now it looks like Pileggi's going to win, the crook. We got a tip about the mayor taking bribes this morning and he wanted you on it. Boy, was he upset when you didn't show."

Jared smirked. "You think he's in a mood now, Danni, you just wait five minutes."

"Do I have to? I'll give you $20 and one of these donuts if I can wait an hour and a half instead. I'd rather be at lunch when hurricane Jensen hits."

"Sorry, Danni." Jared waved his left hand in front of her, engagement ring sparkling brightly on his finger. "I was late to my first wedding thanks to Jensen. He's not going to make me late for my second one."

"Ooh, shiny!" Danneel's eyebrows raised as she admired the large diamond set into the center of the metal. " Oh, honey, it's beautiful. Do you have to show him now? He was insufferable for weeks after your divorce papers arrived."

"Between you and me, he was insufferable long before that." Jared stood up, straightening his jacket. "He needs the reminder that he can't always get what he wants."

"Yeah? Maybe… or maybe he just needs to learn what it is he really wants." She gave Jared a hug. "Anyway, his schedule's clear right now, so you might as well go for it. I'd wish you luck, but with a rock like that on your hand, I don't think you need it!"

Then she opened the door to Jensen's office and yelled, "Hey boss-man, JT's here. Thanks for letting me take an early lunch."

"I did _what_?"

* * *

Jensen dropped the phone down in its hook and swiveled around in his chair. "You're late, Padalecki! I had to give Collins the mayor's interview, and it's all your fault."

"Misha's a perfectly fine reporter, Jen. He's more than qualified to interview a hack like Pileggi."

"If Pileggi was a hack, I'd have been able to get him fired ages ago. He's an evil, slippery bastard from the bowels of hell, and don't you forget it! He's paid off so many people in this town, it's impossible to know who's left to bribe." He slammed his fist down on his desk. "But you're right about one thing, we could have brought him low weeks ago if you hadn't abandoned your post in our hour of need."

" _What_ hour of need?" Jared said dismissively. "You're an editor, Jensen, stick to the facts. Besides, I'd have still been here instead of using all the vacation time I saved up never going on vacations if you hadn't abandoned _your_ post in _my_ hour of need."

"A marriage isn't a post!"

"It might as well have been."

"Well, actually-"

"Don't 'well actually' me, Jensen, this is a newsroom, not a boy's club."

"I cheated myself out of that honeymoon too, you know."

"Yeah, well, you're a cheat and a liar, you probably deserved it. I earned that vacation time the hard way being married to you."

"Marriage doesn't come with hazard pay, Jared."

"It should if you're involved! Anyway, I didn't come here to fight. I only stopped by to tell you a few things, and then I'll be on my way."

"Fight? Is that what we're calling it now? I liked it better when we called it foreplay."

Jared snorted. "You mean when _you–_ "

Jensen already had his back turned, sorting through the papers on his desk. "Don't bother dropping your things off at your desk. I need you out on assignment yesterday. I've got a cherry exclusive for you but you've gotta go down immediately so we can hit the evening edition. Pileggi's hanging his _tough-on-crime_ reputation on this case. If we can sink it, we might still have a chance to sink him."

Jared walked over in front of him, placing his left hand on Jensen's chest. "Actually, I-"

Jensen swiveled away from him and walked over to his standing files, continuing as if Jared hadn't said anything. "Good to hear you're all fired up. Mind you, I'm not holding out hope that you'll find out what happened, so go for sympathy. Make the old ladies cry. And if that doesn't work, go for the crazy angle, play up that he's not in his right mind."

Jared palmed the key under Jensen's mat, then followed behind Jensen, scowling. "I'm not going for any angle, Jensen. I can't-"

Jensen slammed the file cabinet drawer shut, drowning out Jared's words. Then he stomped back to his desk and made a show of re-shuffling the files there, finally holding up a folder triumphantly and slapping it into Jared's hands. "Nonsense, of course you can. Sure, you're probably a little rusty after all that time off, but I believe in you."

"Rusty? I'm not– argh!" Jared slapped the folder down onto the desk, holding it down as he leaned into Jensen's face. "I'M NOT WRITING THIS OR ANY OTHER STORY, JENSEN!" He took a deep breath. "I just came here to get my last paycheck. And then I'm leaving."

Jensen turned away from Jared. "You can't leave. I haven't cut it yet. It'll take me hours. You might as well get on the story while you wait. I'll have it ready for you when you get back."

Jared shifted until he was in front of Jensen again. "And _I_ said I'm taking my paycheck – _now_ – and leaving."

Jensen scowled. "Leaving? For where?" He pulled out his checkbook. "Whoever it is, I'll match their offer and cut you a check right here. What salary did they promise you for betraying me?"

Jared grabbed the book out of Jensen's hand and threw it over his back. "There IS NO NEW salary."

The editor crossed his arms in front of him. "Well then the deal's off, I'll pay you your old salary and not a penny more."

"Argh!" Jared shoved his left hand under Jensen's face, waving his fingers until the diamond glittered in the light. "I'm leaving the business, Jensen. I'm getting married to a wonderful man, and I'm getting far, far away from you and this racket. I'm going to be a kept man, maybe run a charity or something, adopt a few kids-"

"Kids? You? You can't even keep a plant alive!"

"-and I'll stay home and raise them-" 

"You and what non-existing paternal instinct, Jared?"

"We're not talking about you, Jensen. It turns out I've got lots of love to give when I'm not shackled to someone like you, a heartless man who only loves his work."

"You just described yourself, sweetheart. Or did you forget that I wasn't the only one working through our honeymoon?"

"Why, you-" Jared stalked forward around the desk, making Jensen step back. The minute he did, Jared swiveled back to the desk and unlocked the drawer Danni mentioned.

"Hey now, you can't-" Jensen grabbed for it, trying to slam it shut.

"Ah-ha! Liar!" Jared pulled out an envelope with his name on it and shook it at Jensen. "You're a terrible man, Ackles. But I'm grateful, because every wretched thing you do now just tells me how lucky I am to have found Stephen."

Jensen stalked over and picked up the checkbook from where Jared had flung it. "Stephen's the lucky one if he found you, babe, but if he's asking you to hang up your hat, then he's no good for you. Reporting's in your blood, Jared. Can you blame me for trying to stop you from making the biggest mistake of your life?"

Jared scoffed. "I already made the biggest mistake of my life, Jensen, back when I married you. Fortunately, I got better years ago."

Jensen squawked. "Years? It was months!"

"Really?" Jared cocked his head. "Well, it felt like years. Call it time served. Out of sight, out of mind." He pulled a small silver ring out of his pocket. "If it wasn't for this ring here, I wouldn't even remember we were married. Speaking of rings – here." He shoved the silver ring at Jensen, making sure that the diamonds on his _new_ ring sparkled as he did so.

Jensen's shoulders slumped. "All right, I give in." He slid Jared's ring onto his left hand, next to the one that matched it, and put his hands up. "If quitting the paper and getting married is what makes you happy, then I hope you two have many good years together."

He took Jared's hand in both of his and held it there, looking him in the eye. "Make sure he treats you the way you deserve, or I'll hunt him down and clock him one."

Jared straightened up, victory achieved… but Jensen had already turned away to avoid watching him go.

* * *

Halfway out the door, Jared paused. "Out of curiosity, Jensen… what was the assignment about?"

Jensen smiled, wiping it quickly from his face before he turned around. "None of your concern, Jared. Besides, you probably don't want that kind of bad luck, talking to a guy who offed his wife on his wedding night just when you're planning yours." He sat down at the desk and opened a file, yelling, "Danni! Murray changed his mind once already. Get that shark lawyer of his on the horn again and see if he's willing to talk to Collins instead!"

"No can do," she yelled back. "Collins is on his way to the Poconos, remember?"

"Murray?" Jared's brow furrowed, and he took a step back into the room, looking back at Jensen.

Jensen flipped through the file absently without looking up. "Yeah, that Chet kid you used to hang out with."

_"Chad,"_ Jared corrected crossly.

Jensen dropped the file on his desk. "What about Beaver or Olsson?" he yelled back at Danneel.

Jared did a double take, grabbing the file off Jensen's desk. "Wait a minute, _Chad?_ Chad Murray? What are you talking about?"

Danneel checked her list. "Beaver could be called out at any moment if the strike goes through, and Olsson's down at the refinery. Qualls is free, though."

Jared snorted. "Qualls is good for sports summaries and lost puppy stories, and you know it, and definitely not for…" he trailed off as he skimmed through the file, then began to read the top article in it out loud. _"Chad Michael Murray was sentenced to death today after pleading guilty to the murder of his wife, socialite Sophia Bush. According to the police, Murray killed Bush in an unpremeditated act of passion on their wedding night. Bush was three months pregnant at the time. Mayor Pileggi, a longtime friend of the Bushes, called the death sentence a triumph of justice and proof of his dedication to reducing crime in the city."_

Jared pulled a picture of a young blond man being led away in cuffs out of the file. "Killed _Sophia?_ That's ridiculous. Chad couldn't hurt a fly. He might annoy it to death, but... I mean, the point is, he'd never hurt anyone, especially not Sophia. He worshipped the ground she walked on." He threw the file down in front of Jensen. "You know that about Chad. Why didn't you stop this nonsense?"

Jensen shrugged in a what-can-you-do way. "Sophia's friend Alexis was on the scene and found him red-handed. Murray confessed at the scene and refused to talk to anyone afterwards, and you know how much the public loved Sophia. Pileggi fast-tracked the case after the guilty plea, so Chad's looking at a one-way ticket to the death chamber tomorrow. Unless…"

"Unless?"

"Murray called here yesterday out of the blue, asking to talk to you. I thought you could get his side, find out what really happened. I could run it on the front page then, show folks the Chet you know." Jensen rapped his knuckles on the file. "Pileggi cut a lot of corners getting the execution in before the election. Imagine the headlines: _Grief-Stricken Husband Tries to Commit Suicide Via Electric Chair After Murder Frame-Up_."

" _Innocent Man Saved from Certain Death_ ," Jared suggested, his grin widening along with his enthusiasm.

" _Mayor to Blame_ ," Jensen agreed, gaining steam. "Look, Governor Morgan will issue a stay in a heartbeat if we can provide reasonable doubt. The mayor's been gunning for the governorship, so Morgan would love any reason to fuck him over. Even more, though, if we prove Murray's innocent, we'll make Pileggi look like a fool. We could tank his chance for re-election."

"–and save Chad," Jared interrupted pointedly.

"Yeah, yeah, Chet can live," Jensen said distractedly.

"Mmmm-hmmm," Jared agreed sharply, "and you'd just _hate_ the exclusive front-page story you'd get, too, wouldn't you?"

" _Morning Post Sinks Pileggi_ ," Jensen said dreamily.

Jared's eyes narrowed.

Jensen glanced at Jared and coughed. " _Morning Post Saves Innocent Man's Life_."

Jared cocked his head. "Say, why are you only trying to get the real story now? You never liked Chad, but letting him take the fall for murder – that's a little cold-blooded, even for you."

"Even for –" Jensen scowled. "Hey, _I'm_ not the guy leaving his ex-boyfriend on death's door, your passionate words his only hope of salvation."

"You're hardly on death's door, Jensen."

"Not me – Chad!"

Jared sighed. "Chad was _never_ my ex, and you know that. He had his hands full enough with – hey! I'm not letting you distract me from the fact that you were just going to let Chad hang!"

"What part of 'refused to talk to anyone but you' don't you understand, Jared?"

"That's preposterous."

"That's Chad."

Jared paused for a second, then nodded. "Good point." He paced back and forth in front of Jensen's desk briefly, caught in an internal debate. "This is ridiculous! I can't possibly – I have to be on a train at 2pm, I can't…" he trailed off, looking at the picture of Chad.

Then he stopped up short and took a deep breath. "Okay…" He pushed the papers stacked on Jensen's guest chair onto the ground and sat down, grabbing a notepad off Jensen's desk and flipping it open. "Give me the address where he's being held."

Jensen pulled the notebook out of his hand. "No, you're right, you can't. You're not gonna do this story. I'll get Qualls." He held his hand up when Jared opened his mouth. " _You've_ got a marriage to plan, a new life to start, remember? Murray's life might be ending, but that doesn't mean you should sacrifice your happiness."

Jared snatched the notebook back from Jensen. "Stow it. I'm _still_ quitting. I'm just saying I could do one last interview today to save a man's life. That's more than Garth can do. We can just… move the train back to five. Stephen will understand."

Jensen made a final grab for the notebook, but Jared held on resolutely. After a silent game of tug-of-war, Jensen tilted his head and squinted at him, pausing but not letting go. "All right, if Stephen says it's okay, you can do it."

Jared yanked the notebook to his chest. Because Jensen was also still holding it, the gesture yanked Jensen close to him as well, almost nose-to-nose.

Jared stared him down. "I don't need my husband's permission to do anything, Jensen, and I certainly don't need _yours_. I'm doing the interview, so Give. Me. The. Address." He thought about it for a second, then grabbed the entire file off Jensen's desk. "Never mind, I'll look it up myself."

Just as Jared turned to leave, a lanky, dark-haired man in an ill-fitting suit opened the office door and stepped in.

"Hey, Padalecki! Good to see-"

"Outta my way, Rob."

The man paled a little at Jared's glare, clearing the doorway to let him stomp past.

"I'll tell the printers to hold you a spot on the front page!" Jensen yelled after him.

He leaned back in his chair and looked over at Rob with a broad smile. " _Murray innocent; Pileggi's Crime Policy a Fraud. Story by Jared Padalecki-Ackles._ Has a nice ring, don't you think?"

Rob shook his head. "You're a bad man, Mr. Ackles."

Jensen nodded absently, eyes on Jared's ass as he departed. "And thank god for that." Then he leaned forward. "Now let's get down to business. I need you to get me all the dirt on a Mr. Stephen Amell from Albany…"

* * *

After sending Rob on his mission with orders to be ready to change course at a moment's notice, Jensen ambled to the front in time to witness the world's most sugary-sickly-sweet argument.

"–just that we had tickets to take the train at two, darling." The blond man holding Jared's hand was Jensen's height, but broader. He had almost the same color of hair as Jensen, too, just slightly darker, and his suit was expensive and expertly tailored. Everything spoke of money.

"Yes, but Chad's life is at stake," Jared said, batting his eyes at him. "Can't we change the tickets? I can do the interview, write it up and be on the train at five instead."

"Why does it have to be you?" he asked plaintively.

"I know Chad, and he trusts me," Jared explained, puppy dog eyes at their roundest. "I'm his best friend. I know things about him, personal things that he probably didn't even tell his lawyer. Things that might help him." 

Stephen melted into a puddle under the force of Jared's expression. "Gosh, I love you." He held both of Jared's hands in his and leaned in to kiss him. "You're such a talented and giving man. If this article will really make a difference…"

"'Course it will," a gruff voice said from behind them. "Jared's one of the best we've got."

"Thanks, Jim," Jared smiled at the gruff reporter, then turned back to Stephen. "Why don't you drive me over there, and after I've finished the interview, we can change the ticket–"

"Nonsense," Jensen spoke up suddenly, making the couple jump. "You can't ask a man to delay his dreams like that on the day he's supposed to be starting his life with you!"

Stephen nodded appreciatively, not noticing the sour look Jared shot at Jensen. "Gee, thanks, that's-"

"How about I drive you over there while Stan-"

"- _Stephen-_ " Jared interjected.

"-while Stephen goes and changes the tickets?" Jensen continued, talking over both of them. "He can get everything squared away by the time the interview's over, and that'll give us time for me to take you two crazy kids out for lunch afterwards."

"That's _really_ not–" Jared began, just as Stephen said, "That'd be great." Jared glanced over, his jaw snapping shut, as Stephen continued, "Are you sure you can spare the time? Big-city editor and all like you…"

"It's the least I can do," Jensen said. "After all, I might be losing my star reporter, but you're gaining the love of your life. We should celebrate."

"You're kidding, right?" Jared barked out a laugh. "The great Jensen Ackles, offering to tag along like a chauffeur?"

"Aw, I think it's a nice gesture, honey." Stephen patted Jared's arm, prompting him to lean in and kiss him on the cheek.

"Of course you would, sweetie. You always give everyone the benefit of the doubt–" his voice took on a harder edge– "whether they deserve it or _not_. But trust me, the only place Jensen Ackles willing drives anyone is crazy."

Jensen ignored the jibe, smiling widely. "Tell ya what, Sam-"

"- _Stephen-_ " Jared interjected again.

"-why don't you meet us at the Rose Club at the Fairmont at noon?" Jensen continued. "Best steak in the city. You can tell me all about how you two fell in love, and it's practically just a hop and a skip to the train station from there. In the meantime, Ruthie here can get you down to the ticket booth with time to spare."

The red-haired woman rushed forward and entwined her arm with Stephen's. "Why, I'd be _delighted_ to help such a wonderful specimen of humanity make his way through our fabled city," she said. She smiled sweetly at him, her voice taking on a deceptively cheerful edge as she turned back to Jensen. "Just don't expect me to clock out."

He grinned. "Wouldn't think of it, Ruth."

"Good." She raised one eyebrow archly at him, then turned and patted Stephen on the arm. "You just wait right here, Mr. Amell," she said liltingly. "I'll just pop over to get my coat and be back in no time at all!"

"Oh no," Jared narrowed his eyes at Jensen as Ruth hurried off. "I know you. You'll show up, order steak and wine for everyone and somehow end up stiffing Stephen for the bill."

"Now Jared," Stephen patted his arm, "That's a harsh accusation, don't you think?"

Jared kissed Stephen on the lips. "Stephen, I love how you see the best in everyone, but trust me, with Jensen, it's a worst, not a best." He turned to Jensen. "Give me your wallet."

"What?"

"Wallet. Now. If you want to take us to lunch, you give Stephen $200 now, and he'll go ahead and order for all of us."

"I don't carry that much on me, but–" Jensen's eyes focused on something behind Jared. "Hey! Richard! Just the man I need."

"'Scuse me! Coming through!" The short man brushed past Stephen, chest to chest, then stopped up short. "Excuuuoooh, hello big tall and sexy, where have _you_ been all my life?"

"Hands _off_ , Dickie boy," Ruth's voice cut through the crowd as she strode up, putting a hand between the two men's chests.

Jared wrapped his arm around Stephen's waist and yanked him close, out of both of their grasps. "He's with me, _Dick_."

Richard raised his hands up. "Sorry, sorry, thought a rooster that big had to be free range."

Jared linked his arm through Stephen's possessively. "Oh no, this 'cock' is all mine. You're too short to ride _this_ ride."

Jensen coughed. "Hey, Richard, do you have the petty cash for Collins?"

"What, no, boss, this is–" he noticed the look on Jensen's face "-toootally that petty cash you… asked… for?" He drew out a flat rectangular envelope.

Jensen snatched the envelope and opened it, pulling out a stack of cash. "Excellent. Collins left early for vacation, so I'm re-appropriating this for other expenses." He opened the envelope and pulled out a stack of bills. "Write me out a receipt for that, wouldja?"

He slapped the money into Jared's outstretched hand as he counted it out. "Twenty, forty, sixty, eighty, one hundred, two hundred. Happy now?"

Jared reached into Stephen's jacket pocket, pulled out his wallet and slipped the money in before patting the wallet back in place. "Deliriously. Baby, we'll see you at the Rose Club at noon. Go ahead and order for me – you know how I like my steak."

"I'll take mine medium-rare," Jensen said, just as Ruth returned. "And don't chintz on the wine!" he yelled after them. "Nothing cheap, I've got a reputation to protect."

Richard made a strange noise at "cheap", something between a snort of laughter and a sharp exhale. It turned into a coughing fit under Jensen's sharp glare.

He turned to Jared and tossed him a key ring. "Go grab the car, would you? It's in the usual spot. I've just gotta sign off on this, and then I'll meet you out front."

Jensen tilted his head at Richard in the direction of the office, slipping away while Jared finished his goodbyes to Stephen.

"Who's the mark?" Richard asked as soon as they were alone.

"I don't know yet," Jensen said, "but I will. Find out everything there is to know about him and get it to me yesterday. Pump Ruthie on him later. Rob's checking records on him too." He pulled on his coat and grabbed his hat. "In the meantime, Jared and I have an interview to conduct."

"Jared? I thought he was quitting?"

"This is the paper," Jensen said. "You should know better than to believe everything you read."

* * *

Jensen waited until they were in the car to corner Jared.

"Personal things that he probably didn't even tell his lawyer, Jared? What the heck does that mean?"

Jared scowled. "If you weren't listening back when I told you about it the first time, that's your fault."

"How is it my fault?" Jensen protested. "It's not like I _knew_ whatever it was, was going to become important."

Jared sighed. "You would have if you'd been paying attention. And that's why we're divorced and I'm marrying Stephen."

* * *

Warden Armstrong glowered at Jared and Jensen as they entered the prison's visitation room. "I know you pulled strings with Morgan to get this interview, but I've got my eye on you two. Any funny business outta you guys and the whole thing's off."

"Don't worry, warden, there'll be no funny business here," Jared said dryly.

"Yes," Jensen added, "at the Morning Post, the news is serious business."

The warden looked like he'd been on the losing edge of a hangover his entire life, somehow appearing scruffy and disheveled despite his tidy appearance. "Murray stays on his side of the table, you stay on yours, and _no funny business_. No touching, no passing notes, no nothing." At the sound of footsteps grew closer in the hall, he straightened his shoulders, lips twisting downward into a sneer. "He might look harmless, but he's a killer. Don't let down your guard for a minute."

The man the officers escorted in past the warden did, in fact, look harmless. Normally as tall as Jensen, Murray's slumped posture left them both towering over him. His once brash-but-suave persona was gone, replaced by a quiet, downcast man with unkempt hair, a pasty complexion and dark circles under his eyes. He looked like a man haunted by the sins of his past.

The guards tossed Murray towards the chair on his side of the table, then cuffed him to a hook on the table and left.

For a moment, everyone was silent. Then–

"What the fucking hell, Chad?" Jared burst out angrily. "What were you even thinking?!"

Chad stared forlornly down at the table. "Sophia's _dead_ , Jared," he said. "I killed her."

"Chad, I've only known about your case for half an hour and even _I_ know you didn't kill Sophia. What I want to know is why the hell _you_ think you did?"

Chad's head swung up sharply. "You don't know what you're talking about, Jare."

"Chad, when we bunked together, you insisted on a catch-and-release policy for all insects – even mosquitos."

"They're just trying to get dinner, man."

"You watch horror movies with your eyes closed and make your date describe what's happening."

"But-"

"You faint at the sight of blood."

"Yes, but–"

"You faint at the sight of _fake blood_ , or don't you remember the Halloween store incident?"

"That doesn't–"

_"Chad."_

His shoulders slumped. "I don't know either, man. But there's no other explanation. It's the only thing that makes sense."

"I don't know," Jensen interjected. "'Chad is an idiot' was always a perfectly good explanation in the past."

For the first time, Chad seemed to notice Jensen in the room. "Dude, why'd you bring the douche with you?"

Jared rubbed his forehead. "Seriously? You're on death row and _that's_ what you're worried about?"

"Of course it is, Jay. He's a _douche_ and he made you cry."

"Yeah, well, the douche is also the reason I'm here right now trying to save your life."

"Yeah, well, what if I don't _want_ you to save my life? What if I just wanted to say goodbye before I died, but I couldn't because some _douche_ made you so unhappy you ran away to Bucharest?"

"It was Budapest, Chad. Bucharest's in Romania."

"Oh sure, I'm on death row but let's talk about geography."

"Work with me here, Chad. It's not like your _life_ is at stake or anything." Jared closed his eyes and took a breath. "Why don't you tell me, in your own words, what happened that night."

"There ain't much to tell, Jar," Chad said. "After the reception, a bunch of the gang stuck around to keep celebrating – me and Sophia, Milo and Alexis, Sandy, Justin, David, the whole crew. Most of us got drunk as fuck – well, Sophia wasn't, for obvious reasons, but the rest of us, we were wasted. Milo an' me and some of the guys were doing shots for a while until Justin got too drunk and started puking in Sophia's tulips. Milo and I didn't want to be around when she found out, so we snuck off together, with a couple of bottles of wine, you know… it's kind of foggy for a bit, other than yelling at Justin to get out when he walked in on us, 'n then there's nothing. Next thing I can remember is Alexis screaming. My head hurts, my hands are covered in blood, I'm clutching that Teen's Choice Award Sophia won last year, and the woman I love is dead on the ground."

"Well, okay, that's pretty damning circumstantial evidence, but–"

"There was no one else in the room, Jared, and my hands were fucking bloody – it had to be me." He began to cry. "They found her skin under my nails."

Jared crossed around to the other side of the table and hugged him. "I'm sorry, Chad, I know you loved her."

"She was one of the greatest loves of my fucking life, man," Chad said. "Everything was going to be perfect. I just don't know why I did it."

"Were you and Sophia having any problems?" Jared asked warmly.

Chad's eyes darted right for a minute, then down. "Her parents were real winners, you know that. But they loved me. And me and Sophia, I thought we were solid."

"What about you and Alexis? You and Milo?"

Chad ducked his head and coughed. "Alexis has been a rock through all this, and Milo's my best friend. There's nothing else to tell."

Chad was a terrible liar.

"Chad."

"I don't want to talk about it, Jared." His upper lip wobbled. "I let her down, I let _them all_ down. They're better off without me."

"You think Milo would feel the same way?"

"I _know_ he would. The baby… Sophia's gone, Jared, and the baby, _you know_ – how could he ever forgive me for that? How can I? I'm poison. He's better-"

The door behind them opened, and a dapper man carrying a briefcase walked through. "-why they left you in here before my arrival I don't know but I'll find out and heads will _roll_ …" He looked up, suddenly taking in the scene before him.

A look of profound disapproval crossed his face, and he stomped over to Chad's side. "There are _two men_ here, Chad. I thought after that whole dreadful confession business that we agreed there would be no talking to anyone without your lawyer, _which is me_ , present, so why are there not just one, but two strange men here?"

He slammed his briefcase down on the table. "Are you more goons sent over by the mayor to harass my client? I won't stand for it! I warned Pileggi what would happen if-"

"It's okay," Chad said, "he's a friend."

"He who?" the man in the suit frowned. "Don't be vague, Murray, you know I loathe that in a client unless it's under my orders."

Jared stuck out his hand. "Hi, I'm Jared Padalecki. I'm an old friend of Chad's, and you are?"

The man's handshake was firm and cool. "Mark Shepard, his overworked and underappreciated attorney."

Chad snorted. "Notice how he didn't say underpaid?"

"Why would I? I am paid precisely what I am worth, because I know how to do my job, and I am quite good at it _when my client lets me do it_."

Mark turned to Jensen. "So if _he's_ the friend, who are _you_?"

"My friend's asshole ex," Chad said, mostly drowned out by Jensen's louder, "Jensen Ackles, editor in chief at the Morning Post. I've heard a lot about you, Shepard."

"I'd ask if it was good things, but that would be a lie." Mark turned back sharply to Chad. "'Old friends,' really? Members of the _press_? This whole time, you refuse to give any interviews or talk to anyone, and now at the last minute you change your mind and _don't even tell me about it so I can be here?"_ He palmed his face, rubbing his forehead as his voice spiraled higher in agitation. "What, did you think the ulcer you've already given me was lonely and needed _another_ to keep it company?"

"It's not an interview," Chad protested. "I just asked if I could see my friend."

Jared looked sharply at Jensen. "What do you mean it's not an inter–"

"Of _course_ it's an interview," Jensen interrupted. "We're trying to get the governor to give Chad a stay of execution."

"Oh," the lawyer sat down abruptly, looking completely composed again. He waved his hand. "Well, in that case, by all means continue."

Chad rolled his eyes. "I said I don't–"

"–he means he _DOES_ want to file for clemency," Jared interrupted.

Chad hung his head, "It's what I deser–"

"– _deserves_ to file for clemency," Jared talked over him again.

Chad grumbled under his breath. 

Mark looked between Chad and Jared, beaming. "This is marvelous. Finally, someone around here with a little common sense! I could kiss you." He looked Jared up and down approvingly. " _Can_ I kiss you? I promise to use tongue."

Jared blushed. "Sorry, I'm engaged."

Mark grinned, waving his left hand to show off the ring on his finger. "So am I, but you don't see that stopping me."

"He's not interested," Jensen said loudly.

"-but he is flattered," Jared interjected, glaring at Jensen.

Mark sighed. "Pity."

"Why is no one listening to me?" Chad said. "I said I'm not–"

"Hush, Chad, the adults are talking," Jared shushed him, patting his hand. "Now, what's the golden rule again?"

Chad looked confused. "Never date a woman named Medea?"

"Well, yes, but I meant the _other_ golden rule."

"Oh! Always listen to Jared."

Jared grinned. "That's right." He looked sharply at Mark. "He'll sign the paperwork."

The lawyer smiled and popped the lock on his briefcase. "Excellent. I can't promise anything but it's a chance. It'll be up to the governor. Be better if you'd let me gather evidence against the verdict, but there's a 50-50 chance Morgan might sign it just to give Pileggi the finger."

Jensen leaned over Mark's shoulder and looked at the briefcase. "Hey, those photos weren't released to the public."

Mark closed his case slightly and glowered at Jensen. "Not that it's any business of yours, but yes."

"Look, we're on the same side," Jensen said. "You give us an exclusive on the case, let us run the interview, and show us what you've got, and we'll throw our weight with Morgan."

Mark blinked at him. "I take it back, you're all insane."

"It's not insanity, it's the power of the press," Jensen beamed.

"Chad–" Jared started cajolingly.

Chad sighed and muttered something, too low to hear.

"What was that?" Mark asked.

"I said, do it."

Mark's eyes bulged out a little. "Where the hell were you two months ago?"

"Bucharest," Chad supplied unhelpfully.

"Buda- oh never mind," Jared said. "The point is, he said it was okay."

"Done and done," Mark said. "The photos are yours, from an anonymous source. Pileggi's had everyone locked up tighter than a drum and not talking, but apparently the two of you are miracle workers. At this point I wouldn't be surprised if you were able to raise Mother Theresa from the dead to act as a character witness. If you can find something in these photos that I haven't found, then have at them."

Jared flipped through the photos of the crime scene and the arrest quickly, then did it again, pausing for a second on two of the photos. His eyes narrowed and he glanced over at the blond prisoner.

"Chad! You still chewing your nails?"

He held up his hands, the handcuffs clanking as he showed his nails bitten down to the quick. "Yeah, but–"

"And before the wedding?"

Chad shook his head. "Sophia's mom made me get a full manicure that day to look good for the papers. Why?"

"Do you think you have something?" Jensen asked.

"Think?" Jared grinned triumphantly, "I _know_ I do."

Mark and Jensen leaned in, examining the photos. "Huh," Mark said, cocking his head.

"Great," Jensen said, "let's go."

Jared frowned. "Actually, Jen, it's better if you don't go. I've gotta go down to the coroner's office, and he's not your biggest fan."

Mark scoffed. "Pileggi's got Hodge's mouth locked up tight. He wouldn't even look at my investigator. There's no way he'll be willing to talk to you."

Jared grinned. "Oh yes he will." He dropped the photo into his bag. "Jen, you go ahead to lunch with Stephen and let him know I'm going to be late. I'd call him myself but then I'd lose time and I really need to catch Aldis _before_ he goes to lunch. Tell him… just tell him I'll be there as fast as I can. And Chad, stop giving your lawyer trouble and _do what he says_. And don't do anything stupid."

Shepard watched, dumbfounded, as Jared swept out of the room. "I've tried to get the coroner's office on those results multiple times and always got shut down," he grumbled as he packed up his briefcase. "What's he got that I don't have?"

Jensen shrugged. "A brilliant mind and a killer instinct for the truth, wrapped up in beautiful hazel eyes and an ass that won't quit." He shrugged his shoulders at Mark's sharp look. "Don't judge me. I'm just quoting the coroner."

"Well… he's not wrong," Mark murmured approvingly. He turned back to Chad. "Don't talk to _anyone_ except Jared or me unless I specifically tell you, okay? Not your mom, not your pastor, not your secret illegitimate stepdaughter or anyone _else_ you have apparently neglected to mention to me. Do you understand?"

Chad was still staring after Jared. After a moment, he nodded.

"Good," Mark said, knocking on the door to summon the guards. "You know, when I walked in here this morning, I didn't think I had a snowball's chance in Hell of getting Chad to see reason." He tilted his head to one side, looking in the direction Jared had gone. "But now, you two have me thinking I might need to put money aside for a pair of skates. There might just be a cold snap in Hell."

"As long as we stay ahead of Pileggi." Jensen sighed, then brightened up. "Say, how'd you feel about a good prime rib? I've got a feeling Jared's gonna stand me up, and I hate to see a good cut of beef go to waste."

Mark glanced at Jensen shrewdly, waiting for the newspaperman to exit first before following behind. "You seem abnormally cheerful for a man who already knows he's getting stood up." 

Jensen smiled. "That's because I'm not the only one." 

* * *

"Aldis–"

"No." Aldis Hodge looked Jared squarely in the eye, shaking his head. At his height, he was one of very few people in the city that actually _could_ look the tall reporter in the eye. "Whatever you're cooking up, no, and especially not when you're using that tone and fluttering your pretty long lashes. The last time you did that, I gave in and it nearly cost me my job–"

"–and made you a hero when you proved that Lehne had murdered his wife–" Jared leaned in closer.

The lanky black man held up his palm as he turned and walked back into the autopsy suite. "–a nearly _dead_ hero, when Lehne showed up here trying to get rid of the evidence–"

"–but the city paid for your rehab, and a murdered woman got justice!" Jared hurried after the coroner. "Aldis, don't you dare hide behind a dead body when I'm talking to you! Aldis!" He stopped in the doorway, resolutely looking at the far wall and not at the body on the slab. "This is _practically_ the same thing you've already done in the past, just without any danger of getting murdered this time." He held the file out in the coroner's general direction. "It's the Bush case. She's dead and Chad's in jail. It's perfectly safe!"

"If she's dead and he's in jail and you're _still_ asking me for help, then there's something fishy and it's _not_ perfectly safe," Aldis said, pulling his latex gloves on. "Besides, I couldn't even help you if I wanted to – which I don't." He snapped the glove on his wrist for emphasis. "I don't know anything about that case. We've been so short-staffed for months, Pileggi brought in some forensics experts from out of town to help out. They were the folks who handled that case. I never saw it."

"And that didn't seem suspicious to you?" Jared said, edging his way in from the doorway, eyes averted.

"I was too busy finally being able to get more than five hours of sleep to be suspicious, Jay," Aldis retorted, picking up a scalpel. "Still am. The way I see it, maybe you're just suspicious because you're too involved. They were your friends, of course you want him to be innocent. But it's an open-and-shut case. The guy even confessed."

"Yeah, well, the guy is a self-sacrificing idiot, which you'd understand if you'd ever gotten to know him," Jared said defensively. "See, Aldis, _this_ is why we didn't work – you never showed any interest in my friends."

Aldis dropped the scalpel and spun away from the table, closing the gap between them in a few strides. "Friends or not, _we-_ " he leaned in close, pointing between the two of them "-worked just fine, and I do mean _fiiiine_ , until _you–_ " the finger swung accusingly at Jared "-couldn't say no to any assignment Ackles handed you, and _I_ -" the finger swung back to Aldis "-got tired of staying home alone while you spent another night on stakeout with another man."

He looked down at the file in Jared's hand, then back up to Jared. "We didn't work because you were never gonna change, Jay, and I would never dream of asking you to stop doing what you love, just like you would never have asked me to stop doing what I love, even though dead bodies gross you out." He nodded at the ring on Jared's finger. "Whoever the lucky guy is, you make sure upfront that he's okay with marrying the job as well as you."

"I'm not- he's not…" Jared started. "This is my last story. Then I'm quitting the paper."

Aldis just looked calmly at him.

"I am!" Jared protested.

" You keep telling yourself that," Aldis said dryly. "We both know reporting is in your blood." He looked at his watch pointedly. "Are you or are you not standing up your guy _right now_ just to talk to me about a story?"

Jared flamed red. "Well, I _wouldn't_ be if you would have just agreed to recheck these results already." He squared his shoulders. "Look, Aldis, I need you on this, and _you_ need you on this, too. Otherwise, you're going to end up looking like Pileggi's flunky when this story breaks, and we _will_ break it, one way or another. If you don't help us, I can't protect you."

"Can't, or won't?"

"You be the judge." Jared dropped the first photo he'd taken from Shepard onto the table. "This pic alone is going to cost someone their job. Anyone who didn't know you like I did would assume you foisted the job onto an outsider so you could pretend not to know about it."

Aldis squinted at the photo and picked it up. Sophia's dead face stared impassively up at them from the picture of her nude corpse. "What am I looking at, Jay?"

"Check out those scratches." Jared pointed at her left shoulder, covered in mottled bruises and a series of deep gouges. "DNA evidence says Murray left them."

"Yeah, and?"

Jared dropped another picture down next to it. "This is Murray's hand. The one they allegedly dug skin samples out from under."

"What?!" Aldis glanced between the two, then back to Jared. "That can't be right." He looked closer at the hand. "You'd need at least half an inch on the nails to get that kind of purchase in the skin. And the scratches are too close together to be Murray's. I'd say a woman's hand, judging by the spread, but… hmmm, it might be a small man."

"Exactly!" Jared said. "Chad bites his nails. Always has, right down to the quick. It's nasty."

Aldis nodded. "They couldn't have dug in deep enough to tear the flesh like that. For one thing, there'd have to be a lot more bruising around the wound."

"The report that came out of _your_ office says Chad's hand made those gouges," Jared said. "The DNA evidence they scraped under Murray's fingernails backs it up."

"Huh." Aldis looked skeptical.

"Pileggi's team planted evidence or outright lied," Jared said. "Please - double-check those findings. If you get me proof, I can get Morgan to give Murray a stay before he takes a dive for something he didn't do. I'll swear you were the one who came to us – were afraid the report would get squelched if you just passed it along the chain of command."

Aldis scratched his chin. "I do this for you, you owe me one, you and the Morning Post both." It would have been more menacing if he hadn't already been lost in thought, looking through the rest of Jared's file. After a moment, he realized Jared was still standing there and waved him off. "I've got this, Jared. You'll have the results as soon as I get them."

* * *

"I don't understand," Stephen said patiently. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Shepard, but why is it you're here and Jared isn't?"

"Like I said," Jensen interjected, "Jared's following up a lead that couldn't wait. He'll be here. In the meantime, how's your steak?"

"It's great, but… what did you say he's doing again?" He looked forlornly over at Jared's empty chair and the uneaten steak in front of it.

"Working miracles," Mark said, nodding his head sagely. "Your boy got more accomplished in one meeting than I did in months. Although if you say that to the Murrays, I'll deny it and take credit for everything."

Stephen perked up at Shepard's praise. "He's one in a million, isn't he?"

"He sure is," Jensen said. "He was always on the go so much, chasing down one story or another, that we barely ever saw him at the office! There were some weeks in our marriage where I barely had the time to kiss him hello or goodbye. I say, he must really love you to be willing to give all that up. I know I'd regret it if it was me in his position, but I guess that's what makes us different."

"He told me he was tired of all that," Stephen pushed the vegetables around on his plate. "I wouldn't want to him to give up something that he loved, though. Maybe when we get home, he can get a job at the local paper."

Jensen snorted. "Covering what, knitting circles and missing cows? He'd hate that. No, Jared lives for excitement and intrigue. If he can't have the thrill of covering the greatest city in the world, it'd be kinder to just make a clean break." He paused. "Then again, you guys were thinking of adopting, right? I'm sure that will keep him busy."

Stephen nodded excitedly. "I've always wanted kids."

"I'm jealous, man," Jensen said.

"Really?" Mark asked drolly. _"You?"_

Jensen looked sharply at the lawyer, who just snorted and went back to cutting his steak. " _Yes,_ really." He turned back to Stephen. "I'm married to my job, no time for kids. I'd be a terrible father. How many of the cute little, uh, buggers do you want?"

Stephen got a dreamy look on his face. "Well, I was an only child, so I always wanted lots of brothers or sisters. Maybe five–"

Mark choked on his drink. "Five? What, are you starting a band?"

"Well, that's what I used to want, anyway," Stephen slowed his enthusiasm, "but really, whatever Jared wants will be fine with me."

"Nonsense," Jensen said smoothly. "Five's a great number. Why, that's practically half a baseball team. And who knows, what with fertility treatments and surrogates, you might get lucky and get twins or triplets right out of the box!"

"You think so? I didn't want to overwhelm Jared–"

Jensen shook his head. "If there's one thing I learned from my failed marriage, it's not to keep secrets. It'll just drive you apart. Upfront and completely honest, that's the most important rule."

"Really?" Mark drawled. "If there's anything I've learned from my _three_ failed marriages, it's 'Get a prenuptial agreement.'" He cocked his head and looked sideways at Stephen. "You _do_ have one of those, don't you?"

Stephen shook his head. "I don't need one. Anything of mine that Jared wants, he can have. He's already giving me the gift of himself."

Mark clucked ruefully. "Ah, how I don't miss the optimism of youth and inexperience. When you change your mind, call me. My fees are quite reasonable."

Stephen frowned and checked his watch. "What did you say he was doing again?"

"Chasing down a lead at the coroner's office–" Jensen said at the same time that Mark chimed in with, "Bribing a public official."

Stephen glared at Mark. "Jared would never bribe anyone."

"Well, he sure wouldn't even try with Hodge," Jensen snorted, glancing at Mark. "If that guy was bribable, you wouldn't have needed Jared's help getting the evidence re-examined."

"Too true," Mark mused. "The man's locked up tighter than my grandma's trousers."

"So how come Jared's got a chance?" Stephen asked curiously.

Jensen looked up blandly. "Well, he and Hodge used to date – let me see, he was, what, three or four boyfriends before you? Don't worry, it's all water under the bridge. Hodge broke it off, but he's always had a sweet spot for him. And Jared knows all the right buttons to push."

Stephen's brow furrowed. "I don't know if I like you talking about my fiancé that way, even if he is your ex, Mr. Ackles. A lesser man might take offense at the insinuations against his honor."

Jensen scoffed. "This ain't the middle ages. The truth is always a defense against libel. But don't get your knickers twisted – I'd never insult Jared over his ability to work a room. It's one of the things that makes him the best reporter I've got. If he wants something, he'll get it, and you won't even realize you didn't intend to give it to him until it's already gone."

"I can't tell if you're talking about your heart or your wallet, Ackles."

He smiled slightly. "Doesn't really matter now, does it?"

"What doesn't matter?" Jared's voice came from behind them.

Stephen's chair clattered back as he scrambled to his feet, rushing over to Jared to kiss his cheek and take his coat. "Baby, I'm so glad you're here. I missed you."

Jared smiled lovingly at him. "Me, too." He sat down, letting Stephen push his chair in. "Sorry that took so long. But I really think I'm onto something."

"Don't apologize, Jared, it gave us a great chance to get to know your beau here. Why, Stephen here was just telling me about his plans to start a big family with you," Jensen said brightly. "What was it, five kids?"

"Five?" Jared's smile faltered momentarily, then recovered. "Well, I'm not surprised. Stephen would be a _wonderful_ father."

"And I know Jared would be, too," Stephen said. "He's got so much love to share."

"Yes, yes, I'm sure he does," Mark said impatiently, "but what about his love for _Chad_? My client? Death row? Why are we talking about kids?"

Jared smoothed his napkin over his lap. "Al- I mean, _my contact_ agreed with me that the reports looked questionable. He's going over them personally this afternoon."

"My client and my paycheck thank you." Mark smiled, raising his glass. "Jensen, you're losing a miracle worker here!"

Stephen wrapped one of his beefy arms around Jared, pulling him close. "That's great, dear! We can leave for Albany right after lunch – I got the tickets swapped and everything."

Jared frowned. "It's good, maybe even enough for a stay, but I don't know… Chad still confessed to the crime, and the police don't have any other suspects. If Pileggi's determined to stick it to him, it might not be enough." He looked back at Jensen. "What else do we have?"

Jensen shook his head. "Not a lot. Most of the party was over by then, and the people who were there were very drunk and very rich. All of 'em clammed up immediately and wouldn't talk to us, except for Bledel - she was the one who found Murray and Bush. And the police didn't go out of their way to get statements because they already had Chad and his confession."

Mark nodded. "The reception was public, so we have photos of who was there, but the post-reception party was private, and the Bushes confirmed there was no photographer present for the party."

"What?" Jared said. "Of _course_ there was a photographer. Sophie loved publicity. She had a regular one on retainer–" he trailed off for a minute, staring at the other side of the room. "I'm an idiot." He awkwardly extricated himself from Stephen's embrace and stood up.

"But you didn't even eat your–"

Jared was already walking away. "Get me a doggie bag, would you, hon?"

Jensen gestured at the departing man with his fork. "Like I was saying, he's a bloodhound once he's on a story." He cut another piece of steak and speared it. "When he starts following a trail, everything else disappears."

Stephen smiled. "I guess I'm lucky that he's quitting then." 

"Oh, he's like this with everything," Jensen said cheerfully, following the steak down with a sip of wine. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it."

"Who's that woman he's talking to?" Mark asked. Jensen leaned back and peered in the direction Mark was pointing, then cursed.

"Someone I should have thought of," Jensen said with a scowl. "Guess I really _have_ been off my game."

* * *

"Jared!" Lauren Cohan tilted her chin down and looked at him over her stylish Gucci shades. "I heard you were back in town, and that congratulations are in order. So, congratulations!" She lifted her glass in a toast, then downed the wine in a single gulp.

"Huh?" Jared said eloquently.

"The reason you came over here to show off." She nodded at his left hand. "Your new rock, darling," she prompted. "Attached to six feet of muscle, good looks and daddy's trust fund?"

He glanced down at the ring. "Oh! Yes, thanks," he said distractedly. "Actually, I was wondering how much money the Bushes paid you to squelch the photos from the wedding reception."

Lauren smirked. "What makes you think I'd have any such thing?"

"Don't play coy with me, Lauren," Jared said. "Sophia swore up and down you were the only person who could get her good side."

"It's a talent I have," she said smugly.

"Taking bribes to lose unflattering photos is something, but I don't know if I'd call it a talent." He pulled out a seat and sat down, smiling at the waitress who immediately came trotting over. "Three of whatever she's having."

Once the waitress was gone, he leaned forward. "Cut the crap. There's no way you weren't at the reception. What happened? Chad said everyone but Sophia got pretty toasted. Did the Bushes want to make their daughter's final hours look more dignified? Or someone else didn't want to be seen?"

Lauren smiled. "My lips are sealed."

Jared leaned forward. "What'll it take to _un-_ seal them?"

Lauren leaned back. "You're a reporter. You understand my need to protect my sources."

"Ah yes, but I also understand your need as a businesswoman to make a living." He sat back and smiled as the waitress deposited the drinks he'd ordered, handing her a five for a tip. He picked up one of the drinks and pushed the other two toward Lauren.

"Good point." She tilted her head. "Say I had any alleged pictures. Allegedly. What do you think such a thing would be worth?"

Jared sipped at his drink. "To the right hands, rather a lot."

She raised an eyebrow. "A thousand now _and_ … you hire me to be your wedding photographer."

Jared choked. "What?"

"Hire me to be your photographer. Full package, portraits, family shots, all the extras – _the works_."

"I'm not anyone important."

"You aren't, but he is, and with little miss Sophie gone I need to draw in a new crowd." She smirked. "Full package plus a thousand. That's the price, take it or leave it."

"$500 when you deliver the photos, $500 more if Murray goes free, and we'll take the package but no extras."

"Sold. Get Hot Mr. Moneybags over here to sign the contract and I'll have the photos to the paper in an hour."

"Bela, you're the best in the business but you've got the morals of a snake. You bring the photos to the Post and we'll square everything away then." He finished his drink and pushed the remaining one back toward her.

* * *

Stephen hurriedly stood up and pulled out Jared's chair for him as he strode back to the table, holding out his cheek for a kiss. The reporter sat down with an absent, "Thanks, hon," and immediately turned away from him, toward Mark. "Say, Chad's parents are paying your expenses, right?"

Mark nodded. "What does that have to do with that woman you were talking to and am I going to regret my answer?"

"I don't know, we'll find out in an hour." Jared stood up, grabbing his coat. "I'm going to get a cab back to the office and write up what I've got while it's still hot in my head. I've got full pictures from the after-party landing at the Post in an hour, but it's going to cost a thou to get them. Get Chad's folks to authorize the money – they're good for it – and bring it over to the Post in an hour."

"But you just got–" Stephen started, dismayed.

"I know, sweetheart, but the news doesn't wait for lunch." Jared took Stephen's hands and looked deep in his eyes. "Meet me at the office when you're done. I'll be all wrapped up and ready to go." He smiled at him and leaned in, bumping their foreheads together gently. "Just this one last thing, darling, and then we're off to Albany. You just relax and finish your meal… you know how fussy your digestion gets when you rush." He leaned back again. "Oh! And bring your checkbook when you come – I hired us a wedding photographer and she needs the deposit."

Stephen's face melted from befuddled-and-a-little-suspicious into befuddled-and-in-love. He pulled Jared back in close and kissed him deeply. "That's swell, sweetheart."

Just as Jared wrapped his hand around Stephen's neck, Jensen stood up and coughed. "Jared, I need to get on the horn to Morgan to see about arranging that stay. Why don't I walk you out?" He turned back to the table. "I'll be right back, gentlemen. Just need to make a call." 

Mark watched the retreating pair for a second, then blinked. After a moment, he reached across the table, picked up Jared's untouched wine glass, and poured it into his own. Then he sipped it calmly and looked over at Stephen.

"I take it back. You don't need a prenuptial agreement – you need a leash."

Stephen looked at Jared's barely touched steak and picked up his own glass. "I might just drink to that."

* * *

Jensen walked Jared to the hotel lobby and watched him get into a cab, then ducked back into the restaurant and waved over the maître d'.

"Hey Sebastian, I've got a hot change to tomorrow's front page and my reception's out. Mind if I borrow your phone? Thanks."

He waved a ten-dollar bill at the man. "Say, could you do me a favor? I'm running late. It'd be great if you could wait five minutes and then tell my friends at the table that I had to run."

"Of course, Mr. Ackles." Sebastian took the ten with a smile and handed him the phone.

Jensen clicked his tongue and winked cheerfully at him. "Awesome. The blond guy's covering the bill, by the way, but if he gives you any trouble," he handed a fifty to the man, "you know I'm good for it."

Sebastian smiled broadly and pocketed the bill. "It would be my pleasure, Mr. Ackles."

* * *

Over at the restaurant's bar, the shifty black-haired man in the ill-fitting suit slunk down as Jared and Jensen left, then tossed back his drink and checked his watch.

A few minutes later, the bar's phone rang. The bartender answered it, paused, then looked over to the man. "You Rob?"

The man nodded and took the phone, swiveling to face the room as he listened. "What's up, boss?"

"You at the Fairfield like I asked?"

"Sure thing, boss." He turned around in his stool. "I'm just sitting here at the bar. Just saw you and JT clear out."

"Excellent. You see where we were sitting?"

"Sure do."

"See that guy on the right, in the seersucker suit?"

"Sure do. That's the sucker Jared's seeing?"

"Got it in one. Listen, he's got two tickets to Albany in his left breast pocket. I need you to lift them for me."

"Sure thing, boss. Want anything else? Watch? Wallet?"

"No! Absolutely not," Jensen said quickly. "Just the tickets. Don't touch the wallet."

Rob hung up the phone and watched as a balding waiter walked up to the table and spoke to Amell, who looked a little agitated. A minute later, Amell stood up and headed towards the men's room.

Rob handed the phone back to the bartender, slapped a few bills down to cover his drinks, and walked casually toward the restroom, whistling as he went. 

* * *

"–where Murray will sit until the executioner…" Jared paused for a moment, then erased "the executioner" and kept going.

"–where Murray will sit until _death_ comes for him tomorrow, a victim of his own misplaced guilt, the mayor's displaced greed and a system that can be too easily manipulated by the unjust and corrupt." He hit enter, typed the traditional "-30-" at the end of the story, then saved it and printed out the paper so he could read what he had written.

"How'd the interview go, kid?" Jim Beaver wandered over, coffee in hand, a few of the other reporters trailing curiously after him.

Jared smiled, waving his story triumphantly. "Better than I hoped, actually."

Jim peered at the paper suspiciously. "You get him to crack?"

Jared grinned. "By this time tomorrow, he might just be walking out the door a free man."

"Hmph," Steven 'Rufus' Williams huffed, walking up behind Jim. "That's a mighty big brag about a guy who confessed to killing his girlfriend for cheating on him with another man." The silver-haired black man had covered the state's political beat for the past two decades. He handed Jim his coffee cup with a curt, "Try not to drop this." Then he pulled a flask out of his inside pocket and added a healthy serving of whiskey to both of their coffees.

"Hope you brought enough to share, laddie!" Ruth slunk in between Rufus and Jim, and plucked the flask out of his hands, pouring a generous shot into her tea. "Mmm, just like mother used to make."

"Hey!" Rufus protested.

Before Ruth could hand the flask back, a hand with long red nails reached over _her_ shoulder and plucked the flask out of her grip. "Tch-tch, no drinking on the job boys, you know that," Alaina said, tipping her head back and swigging the whiskey straight from the flask. "I'll just hold onto this for safekeeping." 

"I agree with Jared," Ruth said. "Murray's innocent. From what I heard, the other guy's the one who really, you know, did the deed."

"Well, I heard they planned the murder together," Alaina added. "They found out she'd been two-timing them, words were said, and - bam." She mimicked swinging a club down on someone's head.

Ruth nodded. "It's quite romantic, really, when you think about it."

"Women like you are why I'm divorced," Rufus grumbled.

Alaina laughed. "Men like you are why women are like us."

"Balls," Jim said. "Everyone knows Murray was the one cheating on her. She found out about him and Milo Venti-coffee or whatever his name is-"

"Milo Ventimiglia," Ruth interjected primly.

" _Anyway_ ," Jim glared at her, "way I heard it, she was going to get the marriage annulled, so he killed her to get her money."

"That makes no goddamn sense, Jim," Rufus said grumpily, staring at Alaina like he could return the flask to his hand purely with the power of his mind. "How was Murray going to get the money after getting caught red-handed? I'm telling ya, it's a clear-cut crime of passion."

Jim snorted. "I didn't say the kids were _smart_. Coasting on trust funds and dumb as a post, both of 'em – you can tell just by looking at 'em." He sipped his coffee, eyes widening slightly at the whiskey's kick. "Kid just panicked, that's all. Too many drugs these days. C'mon, it's clear as day – no prenup _and_ she'd written him into the will. That's like asking the universe to kill you."

Jared rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You're _all_ idiots. Chad wouldn't have killed Sophia for sleeping with Milo – _he_ was sleeping with him, too! They both were!" He squinched his eyes shut right after he said it, like he hadn't intended to blurt it out. "None of you heard that, and if you did, you didn't hear it from me. Now if you'll excuse me–"

The room was dead silent for a second before erupting with questions, all of which Jared ignored in favor of packing up his bag. Just as he was finishing, Ruth sidled up next to him, slipping her arm into his. "Jared, dearie, it's not nice to dish and run, especially about something as delicious as this," she sing-songed. "Not without sharing, anyway."

"It's none of their business," Jared groused. "None of yours, either."

She smiled sweetly. "We're _reporters_ , Jared. _Everything's_ our business."

"'Sides, that just proves my point." Jim downed the rest of his coffee in a gulp. "Cheating on each other with the same guy? No wonder someone ended up dead."

"Besides," Rufus said, "That Milo guy was dating the other girl, Alexis."

"It's called swinging, you idiots," Ruth said. "Join the 20th century."

Garth wandered over from the sports desk. "Yeah, you know," he shrugged. "It's, like, cheating with permission. What Collins and his wife have."

"It's not cheating if they all know about it-" Jared began, trailing off when he saw Jensen enter the newsroom and walk over. "Besides, Milo wasn't dating Alexis, they were just friends."

"I don't buy it," Jim grumbled. "If it's cheating with permission, then what's cheating _without_ permission?"

"Why don't you ask Mr. Ackles that?" Jared said archly, craning his head to look for Stephen.

"Oh for Christ's sake," Jensen said testily. "I wasn't cheating, and you know it."

"If I knew that, do you really think I would have needed three weeks in Kathmandu to forget it?" Jared grabbed the flask out of Alaina's hand and tried to pour it into his coffee, but it was empty.

Jensen huffed exasperatedly. "I was just trying to get information out of her."

"Really?" Jared responded. "Because from where I was standing, it looked like you were trying to get information out of her tonsils. With your tongue."

At that, most of the reporters suddenly and wisely found something better to do than stand around. Ruth was the notable exception, inspecting her nails with a smile as she stood there and sipped her coffee.

"Yeah, well, that was the price she asked for the information."

"Well, for the benefit of the _next_ Mr. Ackles," Jared said, bitterness seeping into his voice, "perhaps you should learn how to negotiate better, because _that_ deal came at way too high a price."

"Yeah," Jensen said softly. "It did."

Jared looked over sharply, surprised at the soft regret in his voice. Then he narrowed his eyes and looked away. "Water under the bridge," he said. "It's old history now, I barely remember even marrying you."

"Really?" Jensen said. "Let me jog your memory. You wore your powder-blue suit–"

"It was brown," Jared said disaffectedly.

Jensen looked up, eyes far away as he reminisced. "–and I wore my best grey suit–"

"It was _hardly_ your best."

"Hah!" Jensen wheeled around and pointed at Jared triumphantly. "I knew you were lying!"

"I said I barely remembered the marriage," Jared said dryly. "Your dress sense, on the other hand, is impossible to forget. I've tried."

Jensen opened his mouth to respond, but whatever retort he had planned died when Lauren Cohan walked in.

Just then, Jared's cell rang. "Shit, I have to take this. Look, Mark's supposed to be here any second with the check – stall Lauren until he arrives, okay?" He immediately turned away and answered the call. "Hey, Steve, what's up? Running late?"

Jensen turned and walked toward Lauren, purposely lingering to hear Jared's next words.

"What?!" Jared screeched. "You're _where_?"

* * *

Lauren, Mark and Jensen were starting to lay out rows of photos on the table in the conference room when the door slammed open and Jared stormed in, the wind scattering the neatly laid-out photos every which way.

"Jensen Ross Ackles, what the hell did you do?"

Jensen furrowed his brow. "I did exactly what you asked me to – got Lauren and Mark together so we could look at the pictures she brought."

Jared grabbed Jensen by the tie and hauled him out of the conference room, slamming the door behind them. "Stephen is in jail and it is _your fault_ and I need you to fix it, now!"

Jensen held up his hands defensively. "Wait, what?"

Jared jabbed Jensen's chest with his index finger. " _You_ left Stephen at the table and when he went to pay the bill, the manager said the bills were all counterfeit and had him arrested! He's down at the Second Precinct right now!"

"How is that _my_ fault?" Jensen asked.

"It was _your_ money," Jared hissed.

"It was not my– wait, oh my god, I know what happened." Jensen covered his face with his palm. "We had an informant turn over some counterfeit money to give to the police. Rich must have grabbed that envelope instead of the petty cash by accident." He turned away, a small grin escaping his lips before he composed himself.

Jared collapsed on the chair in the hallway, his head in his hands. "This is a disaster. He's never going to forgive– we're supposed to–" He stood up with a flourish and yelled at Jensen, "This is YOUR FAULT!"

Jensen put his hands up placatingly. "Now, Jared–"

"Don't you 'now Jared' me, Jensen." Jared pushed open the door to the conference room to go inside, then halted for a second and turned on his heel, fumbling in his pocket. He pulled out a folded-up paper, the printout of his earlier story, and shook it in Jensen's face. "You fix this right now or you'll never see this front-page story I wrote for you! And it's a good one!"

Jensen kept his hands up, warding off Jared's paper attacks. "It's just a misunderstanding – I'll send Richard right over to explain it all, it'll all be fine, you'll see."

"It. Had. Better." Jared spit out each word through gritted teeth, then spun around to go back in, a smile on his face. "Lauren!" he said with fake cheeriness. "Did you bring the pictures?"

"She did," Mark said, plucking the paper out of Jared's hands and unfolding it. "We were just about to take a look at them when you made your grand entrance."

"— _Assuming_ you sign the contract, that is," Lauren interjected. "Where's the arm candy?"

_"Held up,"_ Jared said, staring daggers at Jensen.

"I'll get right on it," Jensen said, hastily stepping out into the hallway.

"There was some confusion at the restaurant," Jared continued. "But he'll be here, I promise. How about we look at the photos while we wait?"

"Nope!" Lauren said cheerfully, beginning to collect them up again. "No contract, no photos."

"A man's life is at stake, Lauren!"

She rolled her eyes. "Not my problem."

Mark looked at the photos, then back at Lauren. "Ms. Cohan, might I have a word?" He glanced at Jared. "Give us a minute, would you?"

Jared stomped out, intent on finding Jensen to give him another piece of his mind, but Jensen found him first, putting his hands up to ward off Jared's inevitable questions.

"I spoke to the chief and explained the mix-up. Rich is already en route with the correct money. As soon as the restaurant gets paid, they'll drop the charges and your boy'll be free to go. I told him you'd meet him downtown in 20 minutes or so to pick him up personally. It's all good."

"Yeah, well, tell that to Lauren. She's ready to pack them all up and call off the deal."

"About that…" Mark's voice rang out in the hallway behind them. "It's all taken care of."

Jensen grinned. "You're a magic worker, Shepard."

Mark smiled smugly. "Damn right I am. Now let's see if your boy's intuition was worth the price."

* * *

Half an hour later, Jared yelled "A-ha!" and pulled three of the photos aside. "Look at this, Jensen."

The first photo showed a lively Sophia reclining against Chad, sipping on a drink and talking to a dark-haired woman sitting nearby. In the background a group of men and women were seated or standing by a bar getting drinks. In the next photo, Chad had one arm around Sophia, smiling as they kissed but looking past her to use his free hand to take a glass of champagne off a tray held by a red-headed woman with her back to the camera. The third photo showed Chad raising a toast with a shorter man with a mustache, a taller blond man with a haircut almost identical to Chad's, and a shorter young Asian man.

Jensen glanced at them. "More photos of Sophia and Chad, so?" Then he cocked his head. "Is this the reception or the after-party"

"After-party, and look–" Something vibrated in Jared's pocket, but he ignored it, tapping at the background of the photo.

"Wait a minute, I thought the caterers–"

_"Exactly."_ Jared said excitedly. The pocket vibrated again.

Mark shouldered his way in next to them, Lauren trailing behind him. "What have we found, boys?"

"This photo– Jensen–" 

"I'm on it." He pulled out his phone and walked into the hall.

Jared looked at Mark. "The catering company said they closed down at nine and were out by ten, right?"

The lawyer nodded.

Jared ignored the repeated vibrations in his pocket and pointed to a blurry figure in the background standing at the bar. "So who's that?"

Mark squinted at the photo. "It might just be a guest."

Lauren shook her head. "No, he's right, see that black blur on the right shoulder? That's where the logo is on their shirts." She pulled out the second photo Jared had identified. "And here, the redhead with her back to the camera…" She walked back across the line, skimming over the photos until she found the one she was looking for, a shot from the reception with a red-haired woman in the background walking away with a tray of champagne. "It's the same woman."

"And look at Chad's watch," Jared said, pointing to the second photo, where the expensive Rolex on the arm wrapped around Sophia was clearly visible. "2:21"

Mark nodded. "More than four hours after the caterers closed up shop."

Jared tapped on the third photo. "That's Chad with Milo and Justin, but I don't recognize the fourth man. I think that's the guy who was behind the bar."

Lauren looked at the man in question. "He definitely wasn't a guest at the reception. Looks awfully chummy with the guests, though."

"Chad has that effect," Jared said.

"So the catering company lied?" Mark said.

Jared shook his head. "Probably not intentionally. If the party was still going strong, Sophia probably just paid a few of the staff under the table to stick around."

"It's a shame there aren't any photos of her face." Mark cocked his head, looking at the redhead in the photos. "What are you thinking? You said you thought the scratches on her arm were caused by a woman, didn't you… do you think she-? "

"It's possible," Jared said. "I can't really see her fingernails in these, but… if you had a problem with Sophia, it'd be pretty easy to sneak in looking like the help. No one would give you a second glance."

Lauren looked excited. "She'd just have to get her alone and then-" 

"And it's pretty odd that she didn't show her face in any of the photos." Mark added. "But what's her motivation, though? What's in it for her?"

"That's the million-dollar question," Jared said.

Jensen walked back in, pocketing his phone. "Rob's on it. He'll be here in a minute. Let him snap the photo with the face shot when he gets here, and he'll find out who was on duty that night and track the guy down."

Jared's pocket vibrated again. Mark nodded to it. "Are you going to answer that?"

"What?" Jared said, looking up from the photos. "Oh!" He pulled out his phone and turned pale just as it stopped vibrating. "Oh my god, Stephen!" He walked away from the group and frantically redialed. "Oh my god, Stephen, I am _so,_ so sorry. We got in some new evidence and I got distracted looking at it, I am so sorry that I left you waiting… what do you mean, you'll just call a car, I can be there-" The apologies continued as he moved out of the group's hearing range.

Jensen looked over at Mark and winked. Mark raised his eyebrows and mimicked raising a toast. Lauren looked from Jensen to Mark and said, "I see what you meant."

The conference door opened just then, and the man in the ill-fitting suit walked in. "Rob!" Jensen said brightly, picking up the third photo. He glanced at Lauren – "You can print another copy of this, right?" "For a price," she said with a shark-like grin.

Jensen handed the photo to Rob. "This is the guy we're looking for – he works with Diamond Laureate Caterers. I need you to find out who he is and get him to this office ASAP. Grab Rich to help you, he should be back by now. Do whatever you have to do to convince him to come."

"Sure thing Mr. Ackles," Rob said. He pulled an envelope out of his jacket and held it out. "And uh, here's the _other_ thing you asked for."

Jensen pocketed it with a smile. "Good work. Now get going – time's wasting! And remember, _any means necessary._ "

He turned back to Lauren and Mark. "I need to get Morgan on the horn again with the updates – I'll send someone to see you two out." He had the phone up to his ear and dialing – "Hello, Hillarie? I need to talk to Jeff again." - before he was even out the door.

Mark turned to Lauren. "And _that's_ why I told you to drop the wedding contract stipulation."

She smirked. "I'll be happy to take you up on those personal introductions instead."

"Perhaps over dinner?" Mark asked, offering her his arm. 

Lauren took it. "I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful partnership."

* * *

Jared rushed to hug Stephen when he walked into the lobby, wrinkled and bedraggled. He embraced him tightly, then pulled back, holding the tired-looking blond's shoulders. "Baby, it's so good to see you, oh my god I am _so sorry_ I left you there like that."

Stephen shook his head. "Jensen explained everything that happened to me. Quite the misunderstanding, though."

"Misunderstanding, hmph," Jared said with a frown, eyes narrowing as he caught sight of Jensen walking. "I wouldn't be surprised if it had a little help," he said sharply.

"Hey now, accidents happen," Stephen said. "I know the reporter in you likes to be suspicious of everyone, but I think you're not giving your ex enough credit. He really cares about you."

Jared laughed. "That's where you're wrong. If he really cared about me, I wouldn't have run into you in Budapest and we wouldn't be here."

Stephen cradled Jared's face in his hands, pulling him in tenderly for a kiss. "Even if he is the one responsible for leaving me in that station, I still win, because I'm the one you're leaving with today." He smiled, staring deeply into Jared's eyes. "Speaking of which…"

Jensen rushed over to them excitedly, ignoring the tender moment. "Jared! Great news!"

Jared instantly broke away from the kiss. "Aldis called?"

"Even better!" Jensen said. "Alexis Bledel called."

"Sophia's best friend," Jared clarified to Stephen.

"I don't know how, but apparently she found out you spoke to Chad, so she called in wanting to do her _own_ interview with us."

"She's the one who found Chad, right?" Stephen asked Jared.

"That's great!" Jared said, looking at his watch. "What time is she getting here? If it's in the next half-hour, I can-"

Jensen shook his head. "She wants you to go there."

"That's good, right?" Stephen asked.

"Yes!" Jared said excitedly. Then he looked at Jensen, frowned, and said, "Actually… you know what? No. I'm not going. If you want the interview so much, _you_ go. I'm not letting you suck me into any other distractions. I'm getting married. I should be doing things like… like… getting fitted for a suit or something!" His tone was getting louder and angrier. "What I _shouldn't_ be doing is letting you drag me all over the city for your front page while _you_ strand my fiancé at the _police station_."

Stephen ducked his head in embarrassment as curious staffers peeked into the hallway to see the subject of Jared's rant.

"Sweetie, it was an accident," he said placatingly.

Jensen smirked at Jared behind Stephen's back.

"Can we just, I don't know, let it go?" Stephen continued.

Danni came running up. "Bledel's getting antsy on the line, boss. Says she's got places to go, wants an answer now whether you're sending someone over."

"Why don't _you_ go, Jensen?" Stephen asked. "Jared says you were the best investigative reporter on staff back in the day."

"That's right," Jared said, patting Stephen on the arm and smiling at him. "Back in the day, anyway."

"Back in the day?" Jensen mouthed indignantly at Jared behind Stephen's back, composing his expression back into a smile when the man turned back around. Then he said, "I gave that title over to Jared proudly when he signed on. Besides, Jared knows Alexis, which makes him the best person to know whether she's lying _and_ the best person to get her to say where Milo is, since no one's seen him he gave his statement to the police. But also, we're following up another lead of Jared's, so I need to stick close around here in case it pays dividends."

"The waiter?" Jared asked. "Waiter?" Stephen echoed, confused.

Jared sighed. "It's a long story." He looked back at Jensen. "What did Morgan say?"

"Morgan?" Stephen interjected. " _The_ Morgan, as in Governor Morgan?"

"The one and only," Jensen smiled. "He's working on the stay as we speak."

"That's awesome!" Jared cheered. Then he slapped Jensen's arm, hard. "Why didn't you _lead_ with that?"

"Hello, still waiting for an answer here," Danni said. Jensen held up his hand.

"I didn't lead with it because he's not going to sign it _unless_ we can come up with some actual evidence that Chad's innocent. All we've got right now is evidence that some caterers were there. That's not exactly compelling. Unless Aldis got back to you…?"

"Not yet," Jared grimaced. He looked longingly at Stephen, then back at Danni, torn.

Stephen smiled gently. "We've got two hours left, Jared. Go get that proof, baby."

"Good call," Danni said, "seeing as how I already told her you'd be there in half an hour. There's a cab waiting downstairs. With crosstown traffic, you should just make it if you hurry."

"But-" Jared protested.

"Sounds good," Jensen said, dismissing him. "Steve-o and I will wait here, won't we?" He grinned disarmingly. "I'll keep you posted on the waiter. Let me know what you find out."

Jared glanced between the two of them, still not convinced.

"I'll be fine, babe," Stephen said reassuringly.

Jared stared daggers at Jensen. "You'd _better_ be."

* * *

Alexis Bledel's house wasn't the mansion that Sophia's had been, but it still spoke of money and privilege. It was set outside the city proper, in a gated estate with an oak-lined driveway that curved around before opening up in front of the house. The cab pulled up next to Bledel's sporty blue BMW to let Jared out.

He knocked his knuckles on the car roof. "There's a Starbucks about five minutes away where you can chill. I won't be more than 40 minutes at most, so keep the meter running, will you? The Morning Post's footing the bill." He tossed the cabbie a $10. "Here, have a coffee on me."

"Aye-aye, sir," the cab driver said, "I'll be back in 40, but you better be ready when I am."

"I have to be," Jared smiled, "if I'm not, I'll miss the train to my own wedding."

"Wedding?" the cabbie shook his head, chuckling. "Man, your wife must be one understanding dame if she don't mind you calling on other women at their houses before you get hitched. Mine woulda skinned me alive for even asking."

Jared watched the cab drive away and turned toward the house, feeling a little dazed. "Miss the train for my own wedding – what on earth am I thinking?"

"Mr. Padalecki?" The door to the house opened seconds before Jared could press the bell. It wasn't the Bledel's usual maid, but that wasn't uncommon. Alexis wasn't the easiest person to work for.

"Jared Padalecki, Morning Post." He coughed. "Ms. Bledel is expecting me."

She looked him up and down for a minute, then said, "Right this way." Ignoring his protests that he already knew the house, she ushered him in through the foyer and down the hallway lined with portraits until they reached the sitting room where Jared and his friends had spent a lot of time when he was slightly younger and stupider. The room looked the same as always – ostentatious, with a large picture window overlooking the grounds behind the house, and a baby grand piano off to one corner with a standing bar next to it. A pair of leather couches sat in the middle of the room, bracketed by chairs, forming a comfortable little nook that faced the fireplace on the far wall. The closed door on the far wall led to the dining room, but the Bledel's reserved that room only for the more grandiose occasions, so the most he'd ever done was glance inside it.

Alexis herself was waiting in the sitting room when the maid showed Jared in, reading her phone with one hand and sipping a very pink martini in the other. She was wrapped in a silk robe with a damp towel around her hair, and her face was covered in a green clay mask.

"Jared!" she said. "Already? Wow, I thought I had more time. I'm, uh, not quite ready for the interview."

"That's okay, Jared said with a smile. "Why don't we just catch up first."

"That's a great idea!" She patted the couch next to her. "It's so good to see you! How was Bucharest?"

"Budapest," Jared corrected, sitting down on the couch next to her.

"One of those places," she tittered. "They all look alike to me."

"Now you sound like Chad," Jared laughed. He paused. "It was nice. I met a guy."

"I've _heard_ ," she smiled, nodding at his ring. Then the smile dropped off her face and she shrunk in on herself. "It's all so terrible, isn't it? Sitting here talking about Chad being goofy and you getting married, like the world hasn't ended and Sophia's dead." She sniffled, her bright blue eyes filling with tears. "How could he– I just don't _understand_. Chad loved her!"

"I know, I know." Jared reached out and pulled her into a one-armed hug, practically engulfing her with his size. "And I feel so bad I–"

"Oh! Careful!" she interjected, keeping him from smearing her facial mask.

"–I wasn't even here for you all when it happened," he finished.

Alexis daintily pulled out a tissue and dabbed at her eyes. "It's okay, I don't blame you for being on the other side of the world. If Sophia hadn't asked me to be her bridesmaid, I would have been there too." She blew her nose and hiccupped. "I was so tempted to stand up when they asked if anyone objected to the marriage, but I didn't, and look what happened. I should never have let them go through with that – that farce!"

"Hey now," Jared said, squeezing her shoulder. "Don't speak ill of the dead. It wasn't a farce. You know how much Chad and Sophia loved each other."

She scowled. "Yeah, but they weren't the only people in the relationship. You didn't have to sit through a whole ceremony of them pretending _their_ lover is _my_ date."

Jared looked over at her sharply. "You know why they did it. Milo understood that, too. Chad marrying her made them okay with the fact that she got preggers out of wedlock. Sophia wanted her kid to have the best life they could, and her parents would have disowned her at the first whiff of scandal. The world's just not ready to accept free love."

"I hate that those stuck-up _nouveau riche_ assholes thought it was okay if Chad was the one who knocked her up because the 'Murrays are old money,' but Milo was on the blacklist because he's 'just a mechanic.'"

"You know Sophia and Chad didn't care about that. They loved him, and they wouldn't have let the wedding come between them."

"It was _his baby_ , Jared," she hissed. "Chad didn't just kill Sophia – he killed Milo's baby! And he can't even mourn it in public!"

Jared sighed. "Actually, that's one of the things that made me glad you called about that interview. I'm not so sure Chad _did_ kill her."

"What?" She laughed shrilly. "Of _course_ he did. He had the statue and everything, and there was no one left then except me and Milo, and Justin, but he was so drunk he passed out in the rose bushes. They had to pull thorns out of him the next day."

"And the caterers," Jared said.

"What?"

"The caterers were there also," he repeated. "A few of them, anyway – we think Sophia paid them extra to stay and clean-up, and one of them might have been the actual killer, not Chad."

"That's preposterous," she said indignantly. "I found him lying next to her, holding the statue that killed her and covered in her blood!"

"Yeah, but see, things don't add up," Jared said. "I talked to Chad earlier today so we could talk to the Governor about a stay of execution. Chad said he and Milo got black-out drunk that night. He doesn't even know what happened to Milo."

"Hold on, I can't handle two conversations at once." She put her martini down and started typing furiously on her phone, then slipped it into her robe. "Sorry, you know how grandma gets if she thinks I'm ignoring her. What were you saying?"

"Chad said he was so drunk he passed out. I've seen him in that state – it's not pretty. Once he's out, nothing's gonna wake him up, not even if you set his balls on fire. So it wouldn't have been hard to pose him with the statue then. And we already know the forensic evidence doesn't make sense. Pileggi had to have falsified the reports, because there's no way Chad's fingernails made the scratches in her arms like they say he did."

She paled slightly. "This sounds like a conspiracy theory, Jared. I know you like Chad, we all did, but this is crazy. If Chad didn't do it, are you saying you think I did? Or Milo?" Her lip wobbled. "We _loved_ Sophia."

"No, that's not it at all," he said, trying to soothe her back down. "There was a redheaded female server that we actually think might have done it. When we get the coroner's results back, we can see if there's a DNA match. In the meantime, Jensen's trying to track down the identity of the caterers, and I've been looking for Milo to–."

Alexis laid a hand on his arm. "Jared."

He stilled and looked at her. She tossed back her martini, pulled her knees up on the couch and wrapped an arm around them, then took a deep breath. It was clear she was trying to be brave, but the effect was bizarrely offset by the green goop covering her face.

"I need to tell you something," she said in a small voice, hugging her knees tighter.

"Yes darlin'?" he asked gently.

_"Itwasmewholefthescratchesonherarm,"_ she said quickly.

"Say again?"

"It was me, I left the scratches on her arm," she said, louder this time. "The guys were all drinking at the bar, and Sophia couldn't join in, so we went inside to hang out. And things got out of hand." She took another breath. "I was just so, so angry with her. I _told_ her to get a prenuptial agreement! I _told_ her, get Chad to put in writing that the baby is hers and hers alone. But she didn't, and everyone thought Chad was the father, and that's just – and it's not fair to Milo!"

She scowled, the face mask making her look like an extra from _Shrek._ "And then she, she _laughed_ at me, so I shook her, because I was just so angry! But I forgot that the manicurist had given me the long French cut, so I gripped too hard, and then– then–" she put her hands over her face and burst into tears as she wailed. _"She slapped me!"_

"That's awesome!" Jared said. Then he realized how it sounded and backtracked a little. "I mean, not the scratching and slapping and all, but do you realize what this means?"

She spread her fingers so she could glance at him between them. "What?"

"It means we can get that stay for Chad! Your story is enough to _prove_ that someone falsified the report from the coroner's office."

"Really? That's, uh…" She pulled her hands away from her face and look down at the clay smeared all over them. "Oh my god, ew, what was I-" she moved to rub her hands on her robe, then looked at the silk and wrinkled her nose. "No, this is vicuna silk, I can't-"

She stood up and looked back at Jared. "Just- hold that thought for a minute. I just need to-" she waved her hands up to her mud-smeared face and back down. "-I need to fix all this." She fled out of the room Jared had come in through, the door swinging shut behind her.

* * *

Jared walked around the room aimlessly for a few minutes, looking at the furnishings and admiring the view out the window. He walked over to the door to the hallway and gently closed it. Then he walked over to the dining room door, noticing it was slightly ajar, and shut it, too.

He pulled out his phone and called Jensen. The call went straight to voicemail.

He scowled at the phone and dialed a second number.

"Jared!" Stephen said cheerfully. "Are you done with the interview yet? I have to say, I'm getting a little nerv-"

"Don't worry, sweetie, everything's under control," Jared said automatically. "Sorry to interrupt, but is Jensen there?"

"You called me… to talk to Jensen?"

"Yeah," Jared said, "he's not answering his phone and I need to speak with him."

"Well… okay," Stephen said slowly, trying not to sound hurt by the dismissal. There was a shuffling sound and a knock and a few murmured words, and then Jensen was on the line.

"So get this…" Jared paused and looked around, checking to make sure the door that Alexis had left through was still shut. "I don't think we can write off _either_ caterer. According to Alexis, she and Sophia got in a fight and she accidentally scratched her. Which means the murderer didn't have to have long nails, _so_ –"

"I don't know, he's pretty scrawny in the pictures," Jensen said dubiously.

"They were all blotto," Jared countered. "Scrawny doesn't have to do much when the target can't fight back."

"Except Sophia wasn't drunk, remember?" Jensen said. "She couldn't drink, not with the baby."

"I'm just saying, be careful," Jared said irritably. "Call Kane up from editorial or keep Rich and Rob on hand in case the kid gets unruly." 

"Unruly?! He's gotta be, what, 110 soaking wet?" Jensen laughed. "But okay, fine, I'll take precautions. Nice to know you care. You headed back now?"

Jared shook his head, then remembered that Jensen couldn't see it. "Not quite. Still need to get an official quote from her and everything. Hey, hand me back the handsomest man in the office, will you?"

"Babe, you're already talking to–"

Jared cut him off archly. "I meant Stephen." He could practically hear Jensen's eyes rolling over the line.

A minute later, Stephen's voice rumbled into the phone. "Hiya, Jared. Miss me?"

"Babe, you have no idea."

"Why don't you fill me in on what's been going on?"

"Oh," Jared sighed, "I don't even want to go over it again. Can't I just listen to your voice as you tell me how great our life together is going to be?" 

"Anything for you," Stephen rumbled. "Well, once you finish up all your super-reportering, I'm going to whisk you away to Albany like I promised."

"Mmm-hmmm?" Jared said, walking back to the window and peering out of it, his back to the room.

"My momma's gonna meet us there, and we'll have a nice family dinner," Stephen continued. "I've already told her all about you, and she's under strict orders not to ask you about grandkids for at least a month. If I make her wait any more'n that, I expect she'll burst. Anyway, I figure I'll leave the two of you to planning the wedding, and then once that's squared away, we'll see what kind of things you want to do to keep busy. 'Course, if you just want to be a house-husband, you know there's nothing I'd like more than the idea of coming home to your shining face every day." He chuckled. "Anyway, once we're married, I plan on taking you back to Austin, so I see that ranch your folks own. You told me you wanted to see if I was as talented riding horses as– Hey!"

"'Scuse me," Jensen's voice blared out over the phone, loud enough that Jared had to hold it away from his ear.

"Jared, I need you back here pronto. There's something going on with Chad–"

"Something's up with Chad? What the heck does that mean?"

"I'm not sure, Shepard just called me up out of the blue. Apparently, Pileggi's moving Chad to quote-more-secured-holding-unquote because he's on suicide watch."

"Suicide watch?" Jared yelled. "That's bull! Chad's Catholic. And besides that, he _knows_ that something's fishy now. He promised me he'd wait for us to act." Then, a little more quietly, "Jensen, do you think Pileggi's–"

"I think Pileggi's caught on that Morgan's making his move. I already called Morgan on this, too, but–"

"Fuck!" Jared paced back and forth. "I bet that weasel Armstrong told him we went to visit Chad earlier and that's why Pileggi's moving him."

"There's no point in trying to figure out who leaked what, Jared. Could have been Armstrong, could have been Hodge–"

"Aldis would do _no such thing–_ "

"–'s office, Jared, Hodge's _office_. Might even be a mole in the Governor's office himself. The point is, Chad's en route to Central, but I think we have to be prepared that he might not make it there."

"It'd be awfully convenient if he disappeared and wound up dead, wouldn't it just?" Jared said bitterly. "No scandal, just the act of a guilty conscience." He paced in front of the couch . "Look, if they're actually taking Chad to Central, they're gonna take what everyone thinks is the fastest route, but it's not. There's a chokepoint on that road just off the turnoff to route 12 that always slows traffic. Send Kane out in that stupid land-yacht SUV of his and see if we can't get ahead of them. There's a crossover from Cherry Lane down Bourbon and over to Fourth – he can cut twenty minutes off his time easy. It's the best place for us to catch up to them – if we make it obvious, they won't pull anything until he's there. "

Somewhere in the distance, he heard a door open and shut.

"If anything happens to Chad, I'm going to–"

"I'm already on it, babe–I mean Jared," Jensen assured him.

"All right, I'll finish up here and get back ASAP. See if you can't get Aldis on the horn and find out what's taking him so–

"What did you say to him?" Alexis yelled shrilly in the doorway.

"Yeah, I better go." Jared ended the call and looked at her. "Who, Jensen? There's–" A car door slammed, and he realized that she wasn't looking at him, but out the picture window. As they rushed over, tires squealed as an engine roared to life and Alexis's BMW peeled away, the hunched-over figure inside barely swerving to miss the cab that was coming up the driveway.

"Who was that?" Jared demanded.

Alexis turned and glared at him. "That was _Milo_ , you idiot. Chad asked me to let him stay here so he wouldn't get hounded by the paparazzi, because Milo can't lie worth a damn and Chad was afraid the cops would think he'd been in on it with Chad if they knew."

"But I didn't even know he was there– how did he…" Jared trailed off as he realized the door to the dining room was ajar again, despite having closed it earlier. "He was listening in, wasn't he?" He turned to Alexis and grabbed her arms, shaking her. "Where would he be headed?"

She shook her head helplessly. "I don't know. What did he overhear?"

The cabbie honked outside. Jared sighed and grabbed Alexis's hand. "You better come with me. C'mon, I'll tell you on the way."

* * *

Jensen and Stephen were waiting in the lobby of the Morning Post when Jared and Alexis arrived. Before Jared could say anything, Stephen enveloped him a big hug. After a moment, he relaxed and hugged him back, looking helplessly over at the others.

Jensen, meanwhile, slung an arm around Alexis with a big grin. "Lexi, great to see you. Let's get you set up in conference room two, there's a nice comfy couch there. I'll send my girl Danni in and she'll get you set up with some coffee until we can figure out what's going on with your boys," he said, steering her down the hall and away from the others. "And hey, good news, Morgan signed the stay and said he's sending it over with his best man, so we'll have it all straightened out soon."

Jared pushed his way out of his fiancé's hug. "Stephen, what's going on?"

"I'm really not sure. Two men that said they worked for Jensen all but dragged a third man in just a few minutes ago and they're holding him prisoner in Jensen's office. It's just as well we're leaving now. I'm beginning to think your ex is mixed up in something illegal."

"Wouldn't be the first time," Jared snorted. "Say, did the third man look like the guy in the photos?"

Stephen cocked his head. "Maybe a little, now that I think about it."

"That's great!" Jared said, pushing past Stephen. "C'mon, this could be the break we've been waiting for." He paused. "On second thought, you wait here. This guy could be dangerous."

Stephen's eyes flashed. "If he's dangerous, then you shouldn't be going in there at all."

"Nonsense," Jensen said as he returned without Alexis, putting his hand on Jared's elbow to lead him towards his office. "The kid's as dangerous as a kitten. Definitely not our guy, but you've got to hear what he has to say."

"But the train-" Stephen started.

"I'll just be a minute," Jared said without looking back.

Stephen sighed.

" _Mister_ Amell," Ruth chirped in a singsong voice, sliding in beside him. "While you're waiting, how about another coffee yourself?"

* * *

Jensen's "kitten" assessment wasn't wrong. The short, terrified Asian man in Jensen's office sandwiched between the very stern-looking Rich and Rob seemed more likely to faint than attack.

"Jared, this is Osric. Osric, this is Jared, the guy who figured out that you had a story to tell."

"And I'm Lauren, the reason Jared _had_ anything to figure out," Lauren's voice rang in from the doorway. As all the men in the room spun to look at Lauren, Danneel quietly tucked the $50 the paparazzi had slid her into her bra and tried to look innocent.

Lauren smirked at everyone. "What, did you think I _wasn't_ going to be here to miss out on the gossip of the year?"

"As a matter of fact, I did," Jensen said. "Thanks for your help, but I don't want you here trying to scoop the Post on the story _we're_ breaking."

"Darling, I wouldn't dream of it," Lauren said. "I'm just here to see if anything interesting develops, and I'll even be happy to sell you pictures if something does. Besides, it's part of the deal Mark made to see the photos in the first place."

"It's true," Mark Shepard said, wedging his way in behind her. "Sorry, chaps, but a deal's a deal."

"What is this," Jensen complained, "Grand Central Station?"

Jared paled. "Oh my god, the train."

Osric timidly raised his hand. "Since none of this seems to concern me… can I go?"

Everyone's head swiveled toward him. "No," everyone replied in unison.

"Okay, okay," Osric held up his hands in surrender as if fending off a blow. "I was just asking."

"You two, over there," Jensen directed Mark and Lauren to stand against the window, "and don't get in the way." Lauren sauntered over to the spot, Mark walking smugly behind her. "You–" Jensen pointed to Osric, then to the chair in front of his desk– "sit." Osric dashed to the chair and scrunched down in it trying to look small and unimportant. "And you–" Jensen turned to Jared, "get over here." Jared sat against the front of the desk, facing Osric. Finally, Jensen pointed to the thugs. "Rob, go check on our other guest. Rich, you shut the door and stand in front of it, and don't let anyone else in, _capiche_?"

Once everyone was arranged as he wanted, Jensen sat down heavily in his chair. "All right, kid, go ahead and tell Jared here what you told me."

"Oh god, are you the catering mafia or something?" Osric squeaked out, looking plaintively at Jared. "I didn't mean to piss you guys off, I _swear_." He wrung his hands together. "I just wanted to make a little extra money to pay for my textbooks. I didn't know it was _this_ illegal! Please don't kill me, I'm just a waiter!" He leaned forward and wound his fingers in his hair. _"OhgodI'mgoingtodieandIhaven'tevengottenmydoctorateyet."_

Jensen palmed his face. "Not that part, Mr. Chau. Tell him about the argument."

Osric looked up. "I can do that!" He sat up straighter.

"No one's going to kill you, Osric," Jared said encouragingly. "Just tell us what happened?"

"Okay, so," he began. "About halfway through the reception, Mrs. Bush-"

"Sophia's mom?" Jared interjected.

The waiter shook his head. "No, Sophia. Anyway, she asked a few of us if we'd be willing to stick around so she and her friends could keep partying. She offered us a really good rate, like triple what our actual job pays, so of course we said yes. I mean, six hours of that, _hello_."

"The fight, Mr. Chau," Jensen prompted.

"Okay, so anyway, like after a couple of hours, almost all of the guests were super-wasted, like, _white-girl wasted_ , y'know? Like, the only two who weren't were Mrs. Bush herself and this other girl, I never caught her name, but she had blue eyes and brown hair and this kind of weird nervous giggle."

Jared nodded. "Alexis."

"So, I don't know what the fight started about. There was something about the baby and a prenup agreement, and I was trying not to listen in because it was kind of awkward and Mrs. Bush was the one paying us. But then they got really loud, and they were yelling about the baby, I guess this Alexis chick was angry because she wanted to sleep with the bride's husband? She yelled something like, 'That baby should have been mine, but you stole him, you bitch! Why do you always have to take everything I care about for yourself?' And then she lurched at her, like she was going to take her _down_ , and Mrs. Bush screamed." Osric was warming up to the story now. "And then Mrs. Bush just off and slapped her, like _whap_. I mean, I was just finishing cleaning up the bar and trying not to listen in, but I kinda couldn't avoid it."

Jared nodded again. "Did the other guests break them up?"

Osric laughed. " _What_ other guests? This was like, super late in the evening, so everyone was passed out or close to it. Charlie was off doing rounds to make sure they were all on their sides and stuff, so no one pulled a Janice Joplin." He let his head fall back and lolled his tongue out, mimicking being dead.

"Anyway," Osric continued, I couldn't hear what Sophia said, she was all cold and quiet, and she just walked away. So we finished cleaning up, and then that Alexis chick came out and said Mrs. Bush had gone to bed with her husband, and she paid us, and then we left."

Jared leaned forward intently. "Osric," he said, "Do you remember what time this was?"

Right as Osric opened his mouth to answer, there was a yell from Richard outside the door – a stern "Hey! You can't go in there!" followed by a pained yelp of some kind. And then the door burst open, revealing a short, red-headed woman in jeans, a white t-shirt and a Captain America jacket, holding a stapler unfolded in front of her like a weapon.

Behind her, Rich was bent over, using Danneel's desk for support as he cradled his groin with a very pained expression on his face. "Sorry boss," he wheezed.

"Felicia!" Osric said happily.

"Back off," Felicia warned Jensen. "I'm here to rescue my friend. You can't hold him. He's done nothing wrong." She looked at Osric. "Did they read you your rights?" When Jared straightened up, she pointed the stapler at him. "Don't make me use this."

Osric shook his head. "Rights? What? No."

"We don't _read_ people rights," Jensen said. "We're a newspaper, not the cops."

"Well, then you _really_ can't hold him," Felicia said.

She grabbed Osric's hand and hauled him out of the chair and behind her, stapler pointed vaguely equidistant between Jensen and Jared. "Get your stuff, we're going."

She looked back at Jensen. "Kidnapping people – you should be ashamed of yourself."

"We didn't kidnap anyone!" Jensen said. "We just… invited him to come talk to us."

In the hallways, Richard raised his hand, the other one still guarding his privates. "There may have been a little threatening involved." He pinched his fingers together. "Just a teeny amount. Negligible, really."

"You said you were from the International Union of Catering Professionals and I would be banned for life if I didn't come with you!" Osric yelled.

"Well, yeah," Richard said, "but it wasn't like any of that was _true_ , so it's not exactly a credible threat there in the end, is there?"

"Whatever," Felicia said. "We're out of here, bitches."

"No, wait," Jared said suddenly. "This is important. Something isn't adding up." He pulled out a pad of paper and began noting information on it.

Felicia scowled at Jared. When he was too busy to notice, she scowled at Jensen instead. "Fuck off. We don't deal with kidnapping scumbags."

"C'mon kid," he said, "a woman already died, and a man's on death row. What you two may have witnessed could determine whether he lives or dies."

Osric peeked out from behind Felicia. "I'm not a witness! I'm an honor student!"

There was a noise off to one side that sounded suspiciously like a woman whispering "Two hundred" amidst a sudden coughing fit.

Everyone's head swiveled to look at Lauren, who shrugged her shoulders. "What? The Morning Post doesn't pay for exclusives? Because if you don't, I know several other establishments that would be happy to." She looked directly at Felicia. "College doesn't pay for itself, does it kid?"

Felicia tilted her head at her, then smiled sweetly at Jensen. "You heard the lady. Two hundred, cash."

"What? No!" Osric said. "No money, no deal, I just want to go home!"

Jensen glared at Lauren. "Hey Rich," he said deliberatively, still staring daggers at Lauren, "Do you have the rest of that petty cash on you?"

"What? No, sorry, that mix-up this morning, it's, uh–" he tilted his head in the direction of Stephen in the font lobby and coughed, "tied up at the moment."

"Aw," Felicia said insincerely. "Sounds like too bad for you, buckaroo. We'll just be–"

"No." Jensen said loudly. He turned to her. "Sit. Stay." He darted out of the room. Jared craned his head briefly to watch him go before flipping back through his notes. 

Time ticked by in awkward silence.

Right as Jared tapped his pen against his notepad and looked up, Mark's phone went off. The lawyer answered it, paled slightly, and barked out, "What in bloody blazes?" before stalking out of the room. Lauren raised an eyebrow and sauntered after him.

Jared looked at Osric and Felicia, then at Mark's departing back, then back to Osric, and then finally over at the doorway, jerking his head at Richard to indicate that he should follow the departing pair.

"Osric, I'm really sorry about they've put you through, but there's an idiot on death row who's been thinking he killed his wife and kid-to-be, and I think you hold the key to figuring out who actually did."

"Oz, no," Felicia started, but he put his hand on her arm. "I just want to go home," he said. He looked at Jared, "If this will get me there faster, I'll say whatever you want me to."

Jared looked evenly back. "I just want the truth. When this fight happened between Sophia and Alexis, what time would you say it was?"

He shrugged. "Like I said, we were packing up. It was really late, or really early, I guess. Like, four am or so."

Jared narrowed his eyes. "So there were no guests drinking at the bar at that time?"

Osric shook his head. "The only guest around was the dude who puked in the roses." Felicia nudged him. "There was that chick under the tables, too."

"Oh yeah," he said. "Her too."

"Do you remember where the rest of the wedding party were – the groom and his best man?"

Osric's eyes flickered towards Felicia. "Uh…"

_"Please,"_ Jared said.

Felicia nodded to Osric. "Okay," he said, "but this can't go on the record because she _paid_ us not to say anything about it. But, uh, the groom and his best man were passed out together…"

"Like, _together_ -together," Felicia interjected.

"But when Ms. Bledel paid us for the night, she offered us a little extra to not mention that to anyone because she didn't want the bride to be upset if it came out."

"And it didn't occur to you that maybe that might have been important to the murder investigation?" Jared asked.

Osric shrugged. "Honestly, I kinda forgot about it at first, hello, double major and a minor here? And then it just seemed weird to have not brought up, and the guy confessed so, really… no?"

Jared looked up to the ceiling as if asking the heavens to give him strength. Before he could continue with another question, Stephen and Jensen burst back into the room.

"This was going to be spending money on the trip," Stephen was saying, "but you're right, I do think this is more important." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. "How much did you say you needed? Two hundred, right?" He opened it up and began counting a stack of bills to Jensen.

Jensen put the bills inside his left jacket pocket and turned to the pair of waiters. "Okay, so, where were–"

"Oh no you don't!" Jared launched up from the desk to stand in front of Jensen, lifting open the left flap of his jacket and rescuing the money from the pocket. After a double take, he grabbed the train tickets his action had inadvertently revealed. 

"You are not spending another dime of my fiancé's money, Jensen," Jared said sharply. "Not after that stunt you pulled earlier." He handed the money back to Stephen, leaning in to kiss him. While he was distracted, he slid the tickets back into Stephen's coat.

"But, baby, Jensen said–" Stephen began.

"Absolutely not," Jared said. " _Jensen_ is a cheapskate who'd rather spend other money than his own." He reached into Jensen's right pocket and pulled out his wallet. "Do it yourself, I know you're good for it." He leaned forward and hissed quietly, _"And leave those tickets alone, you asshole. Why do you always have to wreck everything for me?!"_

Jensen sighed, opened his wallet and pulled out his own roll of twenties. "I was going to save this in case we needed to bribe someone," he said, "but have it your way." He turned back to Felicia and Osric again, holding the money out temptingly. "Now, will this jog your memories about that fight? Where was Chad when it took place?"

Felicia yanked the money out of his hand. "Okay, well–"

Jared held up his hand, interrupting her. "I already got what we need."

"Oh, well, in that case…" Jensen yanked the money back from her.

"Hey!"

Jared deftly reached over and plucked the money from Jensen's fingers, and handed it back to Felicia, who handed half of it to Osric and stuffed the other half in her bra.

"We already have the information," Jensen complained. "Why are we paying them?

Jared just looked at him. "Do you know how little waiters get paid? _That's_ why." He looked back at Osric and Felicia and smiled. "Chad's innocent and I can prove it."

* * *

"Not another word!" Jensen yelled. He Jared down into his chair and leaned forward over him, logging Jared into his computer. "Don't say a word, just give me that story, and make it worth the front-page billing it's going to get!"

Jared opened up a blank document. "I still haven't talked to Aldis…" he mused, already seeing how the article would go in his mind. "But I can just leave a paragraph for that info, since we already know what it's likely to be…"

"Just write it!" Jensen commanded, sweeping Felicia and Osric out of the office with him. "Rich, go keep Rob company and try not to get overpowered by a tiny woman twice in one day!"

And then it was just Stephen and Jared in the office. Although for all that Jared noticed anything that wasn't on the screen in front of him, he might have been alone.

"Jared." Stephen thumped Jared's suitcase down on the ground next to him, trying to get his attention. "Baby, I love you and I'm glad to support you, but we have to go now. We're going to miss our train if we don't. You've done all the work, and Jensen says the stays already on its way. Can't you just give your notes to someone else to write?"

"Dangit, Stephen, hang on," Jared said. "We've got an exclusive here–" He started typing frantically.

"Baby, you said you were quitting."

"I am, but- oh, see what you made me do, I just typed that." He backspaced over the sentence he'd just written. "Just, just shush for a second. I need to think."

Stephen tried again. "You _promised_ me you'd be done an hour ago, and my mother is going to be meeting us there. You don't want to leave her waiting in the cold."

"Cold… cold blooded, that's good," Jared muttered. "The cold-blooded killer…" He resumed typing.

"Jared!" Stephen said sharply.

The door to the office burst open and Mark stormed in. "Ackles, if this is some plan you hatched up on the side, I would appreciate being _told about it_ beforeha–" He pulled up short. "Oh. Ackles isn't here. Jared, do you know where my client is?"

"Jared," Stephen said firmly. "I'm leaving to the station. Are you coming with me, or not?"

Jared looked up from the story. "Chad? On his way to Central, I thought, but don't worry, Jen's got Kane trailing him. If anything happens, we'll know."

"Oh really?" Mark asked, his voice rising. "Are you absolutely sure about that?"

"Kane's one of the best," Jared said. "Why? Did something happen?"

Mark sneered. "Did _Kane_ tell you my client, your friend, is _missing_ after someone rammed the transport vehicle with a BMW?"

Stephen moved to stand in front of Jared, trying to get his attention, but Jared just swiveled to follow Mark as he paced. "Was it a blue BMW?" 

Mark cocked his head. "Yes. Why?"

"Yes!" Jared yelled. He stood up and walked past Stephen, slamming the door open. "Danni! Call editorial – _Stalwart best friend of condemned man stages daring prison break from death's doorstop._ Milo Ventimiglia just broke Chad Michael Murry out of custody."

"On it, ex-boss," she said smartly.

"Jared-" Stephen tried again, but the brown man pushed past him, returning to the desk and typing frenetically as Mark looked on, bemused.

Stephen squared his shoulders, an unhappy frown creasing his face. Then he sighed heavily and picked up his suitcase. "Jared, we have to go. Now. Like we planned. Like you promised me." He dropped a ticket in front of Jared on Jensen's desk. "I'm going to the station to catch your train. If you love me, you'll be on the train with me when it leaves. I- I'll be waiting for you."

"Yeah, yeah, babe," Jared said absently, shoving the ticket in his pocket without looking at it. "Hey, get Jen in here on the way out, wouldja?"

Right as Stephen reached for the handle to leave, the door opened, as if on cue.

"Hey, Stephen, leaving?" Jensen grabbed his hand and shook it, then immediately pushed past him saying, "Jared, what's the hold up? Where's the story?"

"Get this," Jared said, "Milo crashed Alexis's car into the police transport carrying Chad."

"That's great," Jensen said, "who else knows about it?"

"Just us, for now," Jared said. "Have you talked to Kane?" 

Danneel opened the door enough to stick her head through. "My first-responder friend knows a paramedic who was at the scene. She said the airbag deployed, so Ventimiglia's okay, but he's got a concussion and maybe whiplash. They cuffed him and took him to General. No sign of Murray when they got there, but I bet that Milo guy knows where he is."

" _Realllly_ ," Mark said. "I'll just… take a walk, then. Do let me know if Chad turns up." He opened the door and let himself out

Jared typed furiously.

"Did he say anything at the scene?" Jensen asked.

Danni shrugged. "He told Chad he loved him."

" _Bush-Murray secret lover risks all to save wrongly condemned man_ ," Jensen said, imagining the headline.

Jared scrolled up. "How's this? _Observers at the scene say Ventimiglia yelled that he didn't want to live in a world where Murray was dead, then gunned the tires and condemned himself to what he thought was certain death in a daredevil assault to free the man he_ _loved_."

"Ooh, that's good," Jensen said. "Did he actually say that?"

Jared shook his head. "No, but it's gonna play great with the soccer moms." He looked down at the page and continued reading. " _M_ _urray was being transferred to Central upon a suicide watch mysteriously ordered by Mayor Pileggi, despite developments earlier in the day that cast enough suspicion on Murray's conviction that Governor Morgan issued a last-minute stay of execution_."

" _Mayor Pileggi was not available for comment at the time of publication_ ," Jensen continued. He looked at Jared. "Should we try to get a comment?"

"Hell no," Jared said. "That fucker's got it coming for framing Chad. If it weren't for Morgan's stay-"

"Thanks to me," Jensen said, "and you're welcome."

" _Speaking_ of Morgan's declaration," Jared continued, "where the hell is it? Shouldn't it be here by now so we can get a shot of it?"

"Good question," Jensen nodded. "Danni, get Morgan on the phone and get that stay here five minutes ago. Jared, keep up your-" he gestured vaguely at the typewriter and the room "-your _everything_ , and I'll see if I can get the results out of Hodge, wherever the fuck he is."

"It'll be faster if I call Aldis," Jared said, grabbing his phone. "You know he hates you. How about you try to get Kane instead and see if you can find out what happened to Chad."

"Already tried," Jensen said. "He's not answering. Hey, Danni, see if your friend saw a guy in a cowboy hat and an SUV at the scene, wouldja?"

Jared was halfway through dialing when there was a loud scream from the lobby. Jensen darted out of the office towards the front, with Danneel right behind him.

Jared almost followed after. Then he thought better, turned around, and hit save. And _then_ he followed.

Better safe than sorry.

* * *

"Hey, Danni," Jensen said, pulling up short in the lobby and raising his hands. "I think you can go ahead and cancel that inquiry about Kane."

"Gee really," she quipped, following his lead. "You think?"

The man in question was standing in the lobby. He looked a little worse for wear – well, his clothes looked a little worse for wear, the man himself looked downright pissed. And standing behind him was the reason – Chad Michael Murray himself, half-opened handcuffs swinging from one arm as he held a gun to the cowboy's head. His head was bloody from a gash across the forehead, and there was a long diagonal gash in his orange jumpsuit running from his shoulder down to his waist.

"I demand to see Jared Padalecki," Chad shouted. "Nobody move or I'll shoot!"

"Jesus Christ, Chad," Jared's voice drawled out from the hallway. "Put that down and stop causing a scene, and come tell me what the hell you think you're doing."

Chad looked up at Jared, panicked. "What do you think I'm _trying_ to do? I accidentally clicked the safety off and I'm so terrified of doing something that I think my trigger finger is cramping up, and I need you to come disarm me _right now_ before I do something I really don't want to do."

"Oh, for Christ's sake," Jared said, exasperated. He stomped forward, stopping about two feet away, and said, "Hey Chad, your shoe's untied."

"What?" Chad said, looking down. Jared took the moment to push Kane sideways and grab the gun with his palm, pulling it out of his hand and clicking the safety back on in one smooth motion.

"Oh, thank god," Chad collapsed onto the floor. He looked over at Kane. "I am so, so sorry. It was a great idea, I just panicked, and then I felt like since I'd committed to the idea, I ought to, you know, really _commit_ to it. But then I hit the safety and I knew that when it clicked off, I could actually shoot you instead of pretending to shoot you, but in the end it all worked out so… we're even?"

Kane sat up and glared at Murray. Then he punched him in the face. "There. _Now_ we're even."

"Okay," Jensen said, "both of you, conference room 3. Jared, you too. Danni, find out where Mark is. The rest of you, back to work. You didn't see _anything_. A man's life is on the line!"

"I'll have you know," Ruth said sharply as she turned to go. "That was Garth who screamed. Not me."

"I'm proud of the fact that I screamed," Garth said as they walked off. "Really gets the blood going. If y'all hadn't have stopped me, I would have shown him the old Garth special."

"Sure you would," Ruth said.

* * *

"What the hell, Chad," Jared hissed, dabbing his handkerchief in a cup of water and cleaning the wound on Chad's forehead. "The stay of execution's already on its way – why did you run from the cops?"

Chad looked down. "Milo told me to," he muttered. "He said they were going to kill me, and he couldn't let them. What was I supposed to do – ignore a dying man's wish?"

Jared considered that. "Actually, Milo was probably right about that, so, uh, good job listening to him, and also, he's not actually dying. Where'd the gun come from?"

"He's not dead? Oh, thank god," Chad said, collapsing back into the chair.

"The _gun_ , Chad," Jared pressed.

"Huh? Oh, that." He nodded toward the cowboy. "It's his. I stepped on the foot of the guy holding me so I could get to Milo, and he was already there. He picked the handcuffs and told me how to open the holster, too. So, I took him hostage and we escaped in his car."

"What the hell were you thinking, Chris?" Jensen asked.

The burly editor shrugged, pushing his cowboy hat back on his head. "I was _thinking_ you wanted him out of the mayor's custody. I wasn't planning on doing anything like breaking him out or faking a hostage situation… that was just a little bit of good luck and improvisation."

"You're damn right it was," Jensen said, patting him on the back. "Definitely a bonus in it for ya. Just think of the exclusive we're gonna get out of this!"

He glanced over at Chad and frowned. "Don't make him look too healthy, Jared! Leave some of the blood for the camera!"

"Well then get the camera in here before he bleeds to death!" Jared scowled, but complied. "You're not gonna bleed to death, Chad," he said more quietly. "It's not even a deep cut."

Jensen coughed, making Jared turn and hiss at him again.

"So, Chad," Jared said, "mind answering a few more questions for the interview on the record, seeing as we're about to save your life?"

Chad shrugged. "Sure, I guess."

"Alright, here goes," Jared said. "First question, how does it feel to know that Alexis framed you for the murder of your pregnant wife?"

_"What?"_ Chad sat down heavily. "You're joking, right? And it's not a very funny one."

"No joke," Jared said. "As it turns out-"

"I think…" Chad said. "I think I need my _lawyer_."

"That can be arranged," Jared said, pulling out his phone and dialing a number. "Hey Mark, I've got your client. He's safe."

"Am I supposed to be grateful for that?" Mark's clipped tones came over the line.

"Dead clients don't pay bills," Jared reminded him.

"In that case, yes, I'm very grateful."

"Would you like to be more grateful?" Jared asked. "There's going to be a lot of spots opening up in the city government. I hear the DA spot might be hiring soon. I could put in a good word…"

"Oh, heavens no, do you know how little public servants make? Are you trying to bankrupt me?"

Jared laughed. "Come get your client, Mark. I think you'll find the latest developments very interesting."

Just as he ended the call, Danni slammed the conference room door open. "Got a complication out here, boss!"

Jared looked at Chad sternly. "Stay put." And then to Kane, equally sternly: "Make him stay put." And then he followed Jensen out the door.

* * *

There was a stand-off going on in the hallway. Or rather, a sit-off, anyway. Rich was standing in the doorway to conference room 2 with two red scratches down his face. At his feet, Rob was nursing a black eye while sitting firmly on top of a very angry Alexis, who was stretching toward a phone on the ground in front of her with a shattered screen.

"Caught her making a phone call, boss," Rich said, kicking the phone toward Jensen and further out of her grasp.

"Who to?" Jared asked.

Alexis scowled. "You're harboring the fugitive who killed my best friend – who do you think I called?"

Jensen picked up the phone and check the number last dialed. "Pileggi. Guess we know who tipped him off earlier, too." He looked up at Danni. "Check the scanners. Tell me what we've got coming our way."

Jared crossed his arms. "You might as well come clean, Alexis. We _know_ what happened."

She glared up at him, face screwed up into an angry pout. " _Everyone_ knows what happened. Chad killed her, Chad killed Sophia, and now you're helping him get away with it for some stupid reason!"

She flailed, trying to dislodge Rob. "Give me back my phone, that's mine!"

Jensen shook his head. "Chad didn't kill anyone, Alexis. _You_ did."

"Me?" Alexis gave a mighty heave upward, bucking Rob off, and stood up, backing toward the safety of the conference room. "I didn't do _anything_. Chad's the one who confessed."

"Chad's an idiot," Jared and Jensen said in unison.

She brushed herself off, smoothing out her skirt. "Well, yes, everybody knows that, but he's an idiot who _confessed_." She straightened a pantyhose seam.

Chad's voice spoke lowly. " _You_ talked me into it."

Everyone jumped. Chad slowly walked down the hallway from the other conference room, Kane shadowing him a step behind.

" _You_ were the one who woke me up that morning," he said, his voice getting angrier with every step forward. " _You_ told me it would be better for Milo if I didn't ask for a trial. _You_ told me it was the least I could do to honor Sophia's memory. _You_ told me Sophia and I had been fighting earlier. But it was _you_ , all along, wasn't it? _You killed my wife!_ "

He tried to lunge at her, but Kane grabbed him, holding him back as she hid behind Rich.

"Whoa," Rob said sagely, "what a plot twist." He fist-bumped Rich, who said, "Called it."

Police sirens began to wail in the distance.

"She was my best friend," Alexis countered, her voice wavering slightly. "Why would I kill her?"

"Why would I?" Chad countered. "I had everything I ever wanted… Sophia, Milo, our kid on the way… you took all of that from me! I've been sitting there for months searching my soul, trying to figure out how I could have murdered her, and it was never me in the first place! We were friends, Lexi. Why would you _do_ that?"

"She was jealous of Sophia," Jared said slowly. He turned to his former friend. "You wanted Milo for yourself, didn't you? That's what the argument with Sophia was really about."

"What argument?" Sophia said smugly. "I don't recall telling you anything about an argument. That makes it your word against mine. Hearsay. All the evidence is on my side. You've got nothing but a bunch of theories."

"Maybe, maybe not," Aldis Hodge's voice rang out from behind them.

"Aldis!" Jared said happily!

He waved a sheaf of papers at Jared. "I can't tell you who the killer was just yet, but I _can_ confirm that the skin under Sophia's nails wasn't Chad's. We're running the DNA against the other samples we took from the scene, so we'll find out soon enough."

Jared smiled warmly. "That's great."

"Oh, that's not all," Hodge said. "Turns out those scratches were made posthumously. Between that and some of the bruising and blood pooling, it's clear someone killed her and then came back and moved her a little while later."

"Like after they'd paid the caterers off under the table?" Jared said archly. He turned back to Alexis, his face growing stony. "Looks like we have more than theories. "

"Oh yeah, and that guy he brought in to do the work, Kurt what's his name, Fuller – turns out, he's Pileggi's _cousin_ ," Aldis said.

"Nice work," Jared said.

The police sirens got louder and louder, stopping outside the Post.

"Nice nothing," Alex sneered. "This isn't an episode of Matlock. Where I'm standing, it looks like what you've really got is a charge of aiding and abetting a dangerous fugitive. Why, I wouldn't be surprised if the police had to storm the Post, guns blazing."

"Shit!" Jared said.

Jensen looked around. "Jared, Kane, take Chad to the back, so we've got time to sort this out with the cops. Rob, Rich, secure our guest – the Morning Post is making a citizen's arrest." He looked at the pair. "On second thought, Kane, you stay and guard Bledel, too. Better safe than sorry." He glanced at the coroner. "Hodge, you go stay up here to help explain what we've got?"

A megaphone crackled outside the building. "Attention Chad Michael Murray. This is Chief Pellegrino. We have you surrounded. You have five minutes to come out with your hands up."

"Where the hell is that stay?" Jensen grumbled. "Go, go!" He ran toward his office, yelling, "Danni! Get Morgan and have him send some men over!"

* * *

Jared dragged Chad into the copy room and slammed the door behind him, shoving a box of paper in front of the door to keep it from opening.

"Move your ass and help, Chad!" Jared glanced over at his friend, who was just standing still with a small smile on his face. "Focus, Chad! Grab that paper!"

After a moment, Chad started to move, the grin still plastered on his face. "Jared, man, no matter how this turns out, I have to thank you. This morning I thought I'd lost everything. But Milo, man, he was so brave, you should have seen him! He rear-ended a truck for me!" He paled slightly. "Oh shit, they're gonna arrest him, aren't they? Jay, you've got sway with Morgan, right? You gotta save him!"

"Let's worry about you first, Chad." Just as he said that, the boxes scraped away from the door as it pushed open and Jensen squeezed through.

"Here's the deal," he said. "Morgan swears his guy left an hour ago. We need to play keep-away with Chad until he shows up." He shoved the file Aldis had brought at Jared. "Guard Hodge's findings, too, they're the only copy we've got." 

He looked back at the door. "I'll do everything I can to stall them. If you have to, take the fire escape down to the print shop and hole up there. It'll be just like the hotel in Poughkeepsie."

Jared walked over to the window and pressed on the pane, trying to open it. "The one we had to sneak out because you stiffed them on the bill?" He grunted. "Chad, help me out here."

Jensen glanced out the door and began to squeeze his head and shoulders back through. "I was striking a blow for unionizing! They were exploiting their workers!"

Jared looked back at him as the window began to creak open. " _You_ were exploiting their workers."

Jensen pulled his remaining leg through, glancing back through. " _Everyone_ exploits workers!"

Jared recited along as Jensen continued, "That's why they're the working class!" He snorted. "God, you're such an asshole."

"That's why you love me," Jensen said and pulled the door shut.

Jared stood still for a moment, the window still only half open, and said slowly, "Yeah… I do."

* * *

The downside to Jensen's plan was having to guess what was happening throughout the rest of the Morning Post. They could kind of hear Pellegrino yelling orders and a lot of shouting. But when Jared heard Jensen yell that he'd sue them to Poughkeepsie, it was time to move.

"Is the alley still clear, Chad?"

The blond man peered over the ledge of the windowsill. "I think so. It's a little hard to tell from this angle, though."

"Okay," Jared said. "Follow my lead and stay low – the fire escape goes past the conference room's windows, but I think they won't see us if we crawl." He stepped out of the window and slunk low, making way for Chad to join him and trying desperately not to think about looking down. _Just keep moving, don't look do–_

Below them, the pale light of the streetlight on the corner began to flicker red and blue as another patrol car pulled up to the building. Jared pressed his side to the building reluctantly, but not before he heard a cry go up from below.

"Change of plans," he said, "see if any of these windows are open." The pair began pulling at the windows, practically falling over each other to get back inside when one gave. Jared shoved Chad into the conference room, following at his heels just before a bullet whizzed past his head.

"Holy shit!" Chad yelled. "They're shooting at me!"

There was a sudden click of a safety being taken off. "Oh my," Alexis said, leveling Kane's gun at them, "it looks like one of them succeeded, too." The cowboy sprawled on the ground behind her, a large goose egg rising behind his ears.

_He wasn't the only one there, either_ , Jared realized.

Everything after that seemed to happen in snapshots for Jared. 

– A tall dark shadow rising up behind her and lunging for the gun – Aldis. –

– The gun going off, and Aldis crumbling. –

– Jared launching himself at Alexis and clocking her in the back of the head. – 

– The gun going skittering away, and Chad diving for it. –

– Jared tripping him. "Stay down," he hissed. "If they see you with a gun–"

– The conference room, flooding with light as police poured in. –

– A stern-looking black woman crouching down by Aldis, holding pressure on his wound, while her partner went to check Alexis's vitals. –

– Chad and Jared, kneeling on the ground with their hands behind their backs. –

When Jared's heart finally stopped beating too fast to process what was happening, Chief Pellegrino was standing there with Jensen in cuffs, along with the very guilty-looking Rich and Rob, saying, "Well, well, well, aiding and abetting, kidnapping, helping a known felon, assault with a deadly weapon… looks like the next story you two'll be writing will be for the prison newsletter."

"Nonsense," a voice drawled from the doorway. "Ackles and Padalecki here were operating under my express orders, Pellegrino. Orders I issued after you decided to move Murray here against my directive." Governor Morgan himself stood there, a lit cigar dangling from one hand, the other… wrapped around Danneel? Jared shook his head, but the image remained.

_"Huh,"_ he thought. _"Didn't see that one coming."_

"But the mayor–" Pellegrino started.

"–Is going to find himself facing a political scandal come morning, whereupon he's going to start singing like a bird." Morgan scowled. "I imagine he's going to paint a very different picture than the one you would right now." He waved his hand, and one of the officers – the one not helping Hodge – moved forward to arrest him. Another stepped over to Jensen and removed his handcuffs. "Tell ya what, though, turn in your badge and come peacefully, and I'll give you the chance to tell your side first."

Rubbing his wrists, Jensen walked over to Jared and squatted down. "You okay?" But before Jared could answer, there was a clatter on the far side of the room as Alexis shakily rose to her feet.

"You've gotta be _kidding_ me," Jared said. "What is she, superhuman?"

Alexis took a step forward, toward Chad. Jared tensed, ready to intervene. But all of a sudden, there was a piercing feminine scream from the doorway, and a short figure launched toward her, knocking her cold with a precise kung-fu kick to the chin. Then he landed in a heroic victory pose straight out of _Street Fighter_ and announced, "You've been GARTHED!"

"Bloody hell," Mark said in the doorway. "I didn't think he had it in him."

* * *

When the dust settled, the most important facts that Jared cared about were also the most triumphant ones. Aldis survived Alexis's shot, thanks to the first responder skills of Detective Lisa Berry. It was a lucky shot, clean through with no serious internal damage. With a little physical therapy, he'd be right as rain... although Jared was going to have to come up with more than a floral arrangement as an apology for involving him in a case that had nearly gotten him killed. Again. He got Danneel to send chocolates to his hospital room. It was a start. 

The messenger bearing Morgan's stay of execution showed up not long after the action ended in a haze of pot smoke. He'd gotten the munchies on the way and stopped for a pizza. He was, at least, considerate and brought more than enough to share with the cops, who in turn were considerate enough to not arrest him for being stoned to the gills. They did confiscate his car keys, though.

Chad still left in handcuffs, but he left with Morgan, a personal security detail, and a promise of a speedy exoneration. Bledel and Pellegrino also left in cuffs, but with a promise of a much different kind of resolution. (Jared may have made sure that a certain paparazzi was in a great spot to get a good clear shot of Alexis being led away in cuffs.)

Delighted that Pileggi would no longer be any threat to his reelection campaign next year, Morgan was magnanimous enough to _insist_ on posing for a photo for the Post's morning edition. Danneel got a promise of a raise from Jensen for flirting with Morgan to get him to show in person, and a promise of a date from Morgan who'd been trying to flirt with her and getting shut down every time he called.

After giving his statement, Kane ran off to rearrange the front page once again for the brand-new story of the century that Jared was going to revise. The various other members of the paper dispersed as well with a barked, "Don't you all have jobs to do?" from Jensen.

Mark took advantage of the Post's facilities to make copies of everything he'd need to ensure Chad was released with a full absolution. In return, he gave Jared a few choice quotes for his story and filled in what gaps he could on what had happened. 

"I have to ask," Jared pondered as Mark packed up, "where were you when everything went down? I called you when Murray showed up, but the way you got here so quickly, you couldn't have been very far away."

"Oh, that," Mark coughed, simultaneously looking smug and embarrassed. "I was in the second-floor men's room with Ms. Cohan, in a state of some _dishabille_." He smirked. "What can I say, she was impressed when I showed her what I could do for her, and invited me to show her what _else_ I could do for her. In my defense, I thought there was a good possibility I might be either disbarred or dead by morning if things went poorly. It seemed prudent to strike while the offer was hot."

"I can't believe you!" Jared said. "I thought you were _engaged_?"

"Well, yes," Mark said with a wink as he left Jensen's office, "but my fiancé is a very understanding man. He'd want me to die happy."

* * *

_Engaged._

Jared fumbled in his pocket, pulling out a very crumpled, and now invalid, train ticket. His suitcase sat accusingly next to Jensen's desk, forgotten there when Jared had gotten wrapped up in writing his story.

He stared at it in horror. 

"Oh no," Jared said. "Oh my god, _Stephen_. How could I forget about Stephen? I was supposed to meet him at the station, and now he's going to think I just left him there. And all that after you getting him arrested, and trying to use his money, and – oh god, he's going to think I was only in it for the money."

Jared sank down in his chair, rubbing his head. He looked over at Jensen, angrily. "You did this, Jensen. You knew what I'm like, you knew what I'd fall for. Not one day back in this town, and you played me for a sucker from the minute I arrived. Did you really need to play god with my life one last time? Did you have to make him hate me?"

Jensen looked at Jared, really looked at him.

"No, no I didn't," he said softly. "There's no way that anyone who met you could ever hate you. Look at me, pulling stupid stunts to get you to stick around just a little bit longer. Or Hodge, risking his life for you."

Jared smiled slightly. "He _did_ get a date out of it, though. That policewoman, Lisa – the one who looked like she'd like to kill you with her glare if she could."

"The point is," Jensen said, "that Stephen saw _you_ today – not the you who was on vacation in a far-off land, but the _real_ you. The man who's passionate about the people and things that he cares about. The man who'd risk ruining his own happiness to save a friend's life. He's hurt right now, sure, but when he sees the morning edition, he's going to see everything he missed." He drew Jared into a hug. "You may be too late for the last train out last night, but you're right on time for the first train this morning. You give him a call when you get in, and he'll be there with bells on."

Jared looked at Jensen searchingly. "You really mean that?"

"You've got the love of your life waiting for you," Jensen said. "We'll make do without you here. I'm a selfish asshole, and I'm too old to change. Go spend your life with someone who deserves you, someone who's going to treat you better than I ever could." He hugged him close, then leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. "Go be happy."

Tentatively, as if waiting for the other shoe to fall, Jared stood up, ticket in hand. He picked up the suitcase and looked at it, a look of resolution passing over his face.

And then Jared's phone rang.

"Yes?" he said, answering it. "You're _where_? For _what_? Arrested for trying to ride the train with a forged ticket?" His despondent tone rose with each question, a camel whose back was breaking under one last straw. "Of – of course," he said faintly. "I'll be right there."

Jared ended the call and sat down heavily. He put his head in his hands, and his shoulders began to shake, first silently, and then with an outright sob.

Jensen looked at him warily, unsure of what to do in the face of Jared's tears. After a few minutes, they slowed. Jared composed himself and stood up slowly, looking at Jensen. Then he launched himself at Jensen, wrapping his arms around him and kissing him passionately.

"Oh god, Jensen, I was afraid you really meant it!" He punctuated each sentence with kisses. "I thought you really didn't love me anymore. I thought you really wanted me to leave with him."

"I let you go once out of stupid pride, Jared," Jensen said, kissing him back. "I'd never be stupid enough to let that happen a second time." He offered Jared his arm. "Care to get out of here? I've a hankering to go get an early breakfast at that diner across from the big newsstand on first street, so we can watch when the early edition hits."

Jared crumpled up his train ticket and tossed it in the trash. Then he smiled and took his arm. "Baby, I thought you'd never ask."

"Do you ever feel like we make things a lot more complicated than we need to?" Jensen asked.

Jared just kissed him in response. "Maybe. But if we didn't, we'd get bored." He clicked off the lights in the office as they left. "Do me a favor, call Rich to get Stephen out of jail, would you? It's the least we can do."

He left his suitcase behind in the office. It wasn't going anywhere, and neither was he. Jared Padalecki-Ackles was home.

* * *

_Some time later:_

"Oh my god, Stephen, I am _so, so sorry_. I honestly didn't think he'd take things quite that far."

Stephen chuckled. "I could have told you that. You didn't see the way he looked at you whenever we were together."

"You did a great job, too, you know. That whole speech about your mom and the wedding, you almost had me afraid that you'd forgotten it wasn't real."

Stephen chuckled. "You _can_ , uh, get the charges dropped, right?"

Jared laughed back. "I know an _excellent_ lawyer. Not to mention that the Governor owes me a favor. If you'll send me the final tally of what Jensen got off you, I'll send you a check to cover it as soon as I can."

"Are you kidding?" Stephen said. "That was the most exciting day of my life! I walked in there to help you save a romance, and ended up helping you save a life and solve a murder." He paused for a moment. "But there is one thing I _can_ think of that you could do for me as thanks."

"Just name it," Jared promised.

"…Do you think Ruth would call me if you gave her my number?"

-End-

**Author's Note:**

>  _This fic was written under deadline for a challenge. It's in the middle of being beta'd, but I'm sure there are currently a few typos and such. I'll be doing a pass-through a little down the road, once my beta is done!_  
>   
>  _[His Girl Friday](https://archive.org/details/his_girl_friday_ipod)_ is a cinematic masterpiece from 1940 starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell that is itself an adaptation from a play called _The Front Page_. Because Russell's part was originally written for a man (they added the romantic subplot for the film), her character is allowed to go toe-to-toe, rough-and-tumble against her fellow reporters, and gets a much more active role than a lot of female characters of the day were given. Grant comes across like an absolutely amoral anti-hero until the film's last few minutes, when you realize Russell absolutely deserves him.
> 
> I kept some of the film's basic precepts for inspiration here - journalism, divorce, backstabbing and a man on death's row - but a lot of the rest is my own adaptation. I've tried to do the fast-paced repartee and humor justice, but I highly recommend you see the original movie if you haven't! The link above will take you to a free recording of the film at the Internet Archive. Check it out!


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